Lois "Jeanie" Jefferson Baker
Lois “Jeanie” Jefferson Baker, of Blacksburg, VA passed away on Feb. 10, 2024 at the age of 84.
She is survived by her husband of 66 years, James Carson Baker and her three children Michael Seaton Baker and wife Amy Elizabeth Myers of Arlington Heights, IL, Margaret Baker Gearhart and husband Terry Gearhart of Mebane, NC, Martha Lee Baker and partner Christopher Barrett Huff of Blacksburg, VA, and grandchildren Jacob and Anna Gearhart, and Eva Matuszak.
She is also survived by her brother, Thomas Seaton Jefferson and his wife Leticia Jefferson of Aurora, CO, and brother-in-law Charles McElwee from Braymer, MO. She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Legrue Jefferson and Martha Fisher Jefferson and her beloved sister LeAnna Jefferson McElwee, all from Braymer.
Jeanie was born in Odessa, Dec. 8th, 1939. Her formative years were spent in Braymer, with her sister, LeAnna and brother Tommy. She was a popcorn girl at the Michelo Theater and made eight lard-crust pies a day (cherry, banana cream, lemon, coconut cream pie, and more!) in the family restaurant. She played clarinet in her high school polka band, “The Hungry Five,” was known as a leader in her class, and attended Girl’s State. She married her high school sweetheart, James Carson Baker, at the age of 17 before attending the University of Missouri in Columbia, where she earned both a Bachelor of Nursing and the distinction as the first married nursing graduate. During her early years in nursing, she was instrumental in the development of a special needs program and facility in Columbia that in later years served as the headquarters of a state-wide special needs program. This effort required her to lobby for a grant – her first exploration into the world of politics. She was also one of the founding members of the Columbia Visiting Nurses Association.
After the family moved to Blacksburg, VA in 1978, she continued her varied interests by playing in the adult bell choir at Blacksburg Baptist Church and ensuring her children had opportunities to expand their talents in music and the performing arts. She was multi-talented and multi-faceted: she hand-sewed dresses, Halloween costumes, and practical clothing – and even made her son an early Renaissance costume for her son’s Madrigals singing group.
She served on various national committees – naturally encouraging others in their pursuits – and continued her career in nursing with Student Health Services at Virginia Tech. She spent the latter part of her career as a college healthcare accreditation surveyor, retiring in 2008 after 30 years. She was instrumental in bringing the Schiffert Student Health Center to national prominence through her tireless efforts with AAAHC. As a testament to her gregarious nature, Jeanie always extended an invitation to a diverse group of local and international students from Virginia Tech, ensuring everyone had a place to go for holiday meals and school breaks. She would have made a fantastic politician (she had her father to thank for that) but settled on being a passionate Yellow Dog Democrat.
She was well-loved by all her children’s “brothers” and “sisters” who she helped raise over the years, earning the moniker “Mommy B”. She was a passionate player of boardgames and cards: Hearts and Canasta at home, Bridge in college, and Sequence once the Baker family moved to Virginia. The Game is A’foot!
After retirement, she and her husband joined the community at Warm Hearth Village in Blacksburg, VA. The long-standing friendships they had with residents of Woodside Terrace were forged by fruitful years of Saturday night Happy Hours in the breezeway, sharing stories of their youth and professional careers while celebrating the achievements of children and grandchildren alike – even solving the world’s political problems with a preferred libation.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Warm Hearth Village Brian H. Smith Benevolence Endowment at www.retire.org.
The family would like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for the caregiving staff at Showalter Center at Warm Hearth Village. They made mom’s final days as precious, supportive, and peaceful as possible.
A Remembrance Reception will take place at Warm Heath Village on Friday, March 1st from 4 to 6:30PM at the Village Center, 2387 Warm Hearth Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060.
Directions may be found at www.retire.org.
