Obituary: Judith Baker, 74, Scottville.

Judith Baker

Obituary: Judith Baker, 74, Scottville. 

#MasonCountyDeaths

Judith M. (Graham) Baker

Judith M. (Judy) Baker passed away on Friday, February 17, 2017 surrounded by her children after a brave year and a half battle with cancer.  Judy Graham was born on June 20, 1942 in Free Soil to Gerald and Arlene (Anderson) Graham, and graduated from Mason County Central High School.  On June 25, 1983 Judy married the love of her life, H. William (Bill) Baker III in Stanton at their home on Clifford Lake.

Bill and Judy spent many years together traveling the United States and abroad.  Avid University of Michigan fans, they had season tickets to the football and basketball games, and attended many hockey games as well.  They traveled as far away as Hawaii to attend a UM basketball game.  For many years Bill and Judy attended every home and away football game, traveling with their friends in a custom detailed blue University of Michigan van.  For home football Saturdays in Ann Arbor, Judy would either stay up very late on Friday evening or get up at 4 a.m. on Saturday to get the tailgate food ready and the van packed with coolers of food and drinks along with everything they could possibly need for the day.  Bill would arise 5 minutes before departure, shower and yell “Jude, you ready to go yet?”.  What great tailgates they had with family and many special friends.  They were extremely proud of granddaughter Cari Lyn when she was accepted as a student at UM in 1998.  They were thrilled when she became a member of the Michigan Marching Band and Bill was able to attend one game that Fall to see her march.

Bill passed away on May 28, 1999 after a long battle with diabetes.  Judy spent many weeks and months constantly at Bill’s side during his many hospital stays the last couple of years of his life, only returning home to do laundry and check on their home.  After Judy’s retirement from the State of Michigan in 2002, she moved back to Scottville to be near her children and father.  She moved in with him and cared for him as his health deteriorated.  Always the caregiver, she put everyone else’s needs before her own.

Before her cancer diagnosis, she spent the last several Winters at the Corkscrew Woodlands in Estero, Florida where she made many friends whom the family knows will also miss her.  She was well known throughout Kite Circle as the woman with the well-groomed landscape and beautiful flowers. 

Judy loved to play golf, putter around in her garden and continued to mow her large yard through the Summer of 2016.  Her friends and children frequently joked with her love of mowing the grass.  She just wanted to stay active and healthy.  She also loved to watch college football and basketball games, and UM hockey games.  On Fall Saturdays if she was not attending a UM football game, she was watching games on TV from noon until she went to bed.  Her greatest joy was being with family, friends and her furry grandchildren, especially Bud whose death in December left a hole in her heart.

Judy was an especially kind and caring person who rarely said anything negative.  She remained strong and amazingly positive throughout the past year and a half as she fought cancer.  She was a very special person who will be deeply missed by her family and friends.  If you were fortunate enough to meet Judy, you had a life-long friend.

In addition to her husband Bill and her parents, Judy was preceded in death by her father and mother-in-law Herbert and Ethel Baker, sister-in-law Penny Thomsen, niece Kelly Thomsen, and very special friends Arletta Groves and Bill Hill, her second “son.”

She will be forever missed by her children, daughter Deb Nelson and her significant other Ellis Dilts, son Patrick Proue, and daughter Michelle Proue all of Scottville.  Granddaughter Cari Lyn Nelson and her significant other Josh Plunkett of Georgia.  Loving brothers and their wives, Kenneth and Martha Graham of Holland, Robert and Carol Graham of Fremont, and Gerry and Rhonda Graham of Grand Rapids.  Very special niece and friend Robin Thomsen.  Bill’s daughter Susan (John) LaLonde and Johnny LaLonde, granddaughter Alexa (Joseph) Kalinski and son Maddox, and daughter Lisa (Andy) Arwood, and their daughter Audrey.  Aunts and Uncles Phyllis Grund, Neal Anderson, Marjorie (Andy) Knudsen, Carl (Pat) Anderson and Delores Wagner, and several nieces, nephews and cousins, brother-in-law Stan Thomsen.  Very special friends Gary and Carolyn Chisholm, Skip and Marty Blaisdell, Nancy Hill and Gale Partridge. 

The family would like to express their gratitude for the compassionate care Judy received from the staff at Oceana County Medical Care.

Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be held in the summer of 2017.  Memorial contributions in memory of Judy may be directed to Oceana County Medical Care Facility – Landscaping Project, 701 East Main Street, Hart, MI  49420.

Please feel free to share a memory or photo with the family at www.oakgrovefh.com.  The family has entrusted funeral arrangements with Oak Grove Funeral Home & Cremation Center of Ludington.