Foster Gail Baker
BAKER, HILSENBECK, MCDONALD, WOODHOUSE, SVENDSEN, HANKINS, GRUWELL, LUNDQUIST
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 7/26/2021 at 11:03:28
Foster Gail Baker, 97, of Iowa City passed away on Wednesday, July 21, 2021, at his home surrounded by family.
Funeral services will be at 3:00 pm on Thursday, July 29, 2021, at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service, Iowa City, with Pastor Leigh Brown officiating. The family will greet friends at a visitation from 1-3:00 pm at the funeral home prior to the service. Coffee and pastries will be served following the service. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to: Iowa City Public Library or Iowa City Hospice. Condolences may be mailed to 1213 Marcy Street, Iowa City, IA 52240.
Foster was born in Maryville, MO on April 17, 1924, son of Gail Baker and Katherine Hilsenbeck Baker. He graduated from Maryville High School and Northwest Missouri State University. He was a WWII veteran. At age 20, he joined Army Air Corps (U.S. Air Force) and trained as an aviation navigator and always loved flying in those old planes.
Foster married his hometown sweetheart, Betty Lou McDonald, the love of his life, on August 14, 1948.
He completed his Master's Degree in mathematics in 1960 at Kansas University, Lawrence, KS, always liking the colorful Jay Hawk mascot. He taught mathematics and science in numerous small towns in Missouri and Kansas until, seeking a better education for his then five kids, moved his family to Iowa City. He taught math (algebra, geometry, calculus trigonometry) to thousands of high school students at City High for 30 years and was fondly nicknamed “Flash” by his students. Simultaneously, he taught mathematics classes as the longest-running correspondence (distance learning) adjunct instructor in the University of Iowa math department, for 50 years, retiring from that position at age 89. For decades, he also worked summers for engineering firms, doing outdoor projects such as surveying and materials strength testing, which he enjoyed as it gave him a welcome respite from wearing a suit and tie in the classroom.
Foster was an intellectual. Though a mathematician by profession, he was an avid reader of current events, global events, politics, literature and art. He read the New Yorker Magazine, the Economist, Le Monde and New York Book Review, plus numerous international newspapers. There were always plenty of books in the house. He had a dry sense of humor and was always ready to discuss politics.
He liked French Impressionist art, framing/matting prints, and also tried his hand at stained-glass crafting. He baked 4-6 loaves of his own original-recipe wheat bread weekly. He LOVED good coffee; Java House was his favorite. He was a wine aficionado and loved gourmet cheese and ice cream. He enjoyed classical music, big band tunes, Irish folk songs and French folk songs.
He loved downtown Iowa City and hanging out at the coffee shops frequented by Iowa Writer's Workshop people. He always liked the iconic downtown Iowa City businesses and frequented John's Grocery, Pearson's, Hamburg Inn, George's, Mott's Drug Store and Prairie Lights Bookstore.
After retirement, he and Betty enjoyed taking overnight road trips to explore Iowa, with a favorite visit being to the Blue Bunny ice cream factory In Le Mars. He was proud of his beloved house in a historic neighborhood in Iowa City where, later in life, he liked sitting on the front porch studying cloud formations and enjoying people walking their dogs.
Foster was famous for his curly hair!! Even at 97, he had a full head of hair.
One of his greatest prides was his grandchildren and what decent adults they've grown to be, with solid futures and family values. His legacy of love continues.
Foster is survived by his wife, Betty Baker, and their six children: Stephen Baker, Diane Baker (Chris Woodhouse), Cynthia Baker (all of Iowa City), April Baker (North Liberty), David Baker (Haslett, MI) and Tracy (Julie) Baker (Davenport); grandchildren: Amy Baker (Rick) Svendsen (Rochester MN), Mark Baker (Denver, CO), Kael (Kaitlin) Hankins (Ainsworth), Abbie Gruwell (Alexandria, VA), Kelda Hankins (Cedar Rapids), Benjamin Baker (North Liberty), Erik Hankins (Oxford), Clare Hankins (Iowa City), Daniel Baker (North Liberty) and Annette Baker (Davenport); great-grandchildren: Parker and Carter Svendsen (Rochester, MN).
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Stanley Wallace Baker, and his daughter-in-law Sue Lundquist Baker.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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