He was born on Sept. 22, 1960, in Wellsville, N.Y., to John Oliver and Betty LeClare Baker.
Jeff grew up in Bolivar, N.Y., a small town south of Buffalo, N.Y., that he lovingly referred to as his own Mayberry RFD. His family moved to Waterbury, Conn., in 1974 and he graduated from Crosby High School in 1978. After high school he attended the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn. He moved to Los Angeles in 1980 and attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. He also attended California State University, Long Beach, studying radio and television arts and music education.
Jeff worked for Dick Clark Productions, Lorimar Television, California Video Company and ultimately Warner Bros. as manager of broadcast operations. He finished his career with Warner Bros. in 2015 after 29 years of dedicated service.
Jeff married his soulmate Patricia "Patty" Cobb in 2003, in Kapalua, Hawaii, on the beautiful island of Maui. They were harmoniously married for 14 years, and best friends for 29 years. Their two adopted Maltese-mixed doggies, Max and Oliver, were their beloved "kids."
Jeff was a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS), formerly The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America, for 44 years. He learned to love the barbershop art form at his father's knee; they enjoyed the hobby together throughout their shared lives. He sang in many quartets, most notably Nightlife Quartet - the 1996 BHS International Champion Quartet - in which he sang the baritone part. For over 20 plus years, Jeff and Nightlife enthralled audiences all over the United States and the world. He was a masterful emcee; his sweet yet sharp wit filled every audience with laughter, fun, happiness and joy. He never let them forget "I wrote that song!"
He was also a 30-year member of the eight-time International Champion Chorus - the Masters of Harmony of Santa Fe Springs, California. Jeff generously shared his lifetime of performance experience as a coach to many quartets and choruses in the BHS and the Sweet Adelines International organization. He coached with humor and passion, two qualities for which he will forever be loved and remembered. He also enjoyed building, fixing and tinkering anything that needed his wicked "MacGyver" skills. He was a huge Robert De Niro and "The Godfather" fan.
Jeff is survived by his cherished spouse Patty of Missouri City; his treasured siblings, sister Criss (Russ) Nunamaker of Bolivar, brother Terry (Barb) Baker of Concord, N.C., and sister Bonnie Baker of Olean, N.Y.; and much loved nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and other relatives.
His mother, Betty L. Baker, and his father, John O. Baker, as well as his grandparents, preceded Jeff in death.
A celebration of Jeff's life will be held in California in May and in Andover, N.Y. at the family's discretion.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to your favorite barbershop harmony charitable organization; The National Brain Tumor Society, 55 Chapel Street, Suite 200, Newton, MA 02458; Downtown Dog Rescue, P.O. Box 90035, Pasadena, CA 91109; or BRAG Historical Society, 390 Main St., Bolivar, NY 14715. Condolences may be left on the Distinctive Life online guest book at www.distinctivelife.com.
As one of Jeff's countless number of friends said, "There is no way to overstate how much he will be missed. His vibrant wit, sense of humor, generous spirit, his willingness to help you to achieve, his ability to offer his suggestions without pretense - were all shared with love and a positive spin. These will be less present in our lives now. We owe it to ourselves and others to continue to honor his memory with similar gestures. And remembering that he's the guy who inspired those gestures is how he'll continue to live on in our hearts."
