Obituary

FALLS CHURCH, VA. -- Darrell Preston Baker, a longtime resident of Texas and Indiana, passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013, in Falls Church, Va., after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Memorial service: 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, in the First United Methodist Church, 106 W. State St., New Ross, Ind. 47968. Interment: He will be laid to rest in the New Ross Cemetery near his parents.

Memorials: Contributions may take the form of a donation to the Alzheimer's Association, National Capital Area Chapter, 3701 Pender Drive, Suite 400, Fairfax, Va. 22030.

Darrell was born in Apache, Okla., on July 23, 1935. He returned to the Baker family homestead in New Ross, Ind., with his father, Jesse "Jack" Baker and Modena Howell Baker (both deceased) just after the outbreak of World War II. After graduating from New Ross High School he joined the Air Force and served as an electronics/radar technician at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., and Scott Air Force Base in Illinois before leaving the Air Force. He worked for Lindsey Corporation in Indianapolis before beginning with IBM in the mid-1960s where he enjoyed a 25- year career with IBM as a program support technician until he retired in 1990. He lived both in Bedford and for 12 years near the beach in Port Aransas, Texas.

Darrell was an avid scuba diver and traveled widely in the Caribbean, South America, Europe and the American West. He loved learning about the local culture and history and often played tour guide, even to places he had not previously visited. He was a longtime member of the Cowtown Mariners in Fort Worth and enjoyed sailing.

Survivors: Darrell is survived by a sister, Sue Baker Cook of Fort Worth; son, Darryll Baker of Annandale, Va.; son, Dennis Baker of Greenwood, Ind.; and daughter, Kim Baker Mock of South Bend, Ind. He had one nephew, Scott Cook, currently living in London, England, and one niece, Kerri Cook Finch of Fort Worth. He had six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.