ANDOVER - Dolores K. "Dickie" Baker, 89, passed away Monday (Sept. 30, 2019) at Wellsville Manor Care Center following a lengthy illness.
Mrs. Baker was born on Oct. 10, 1929 in Detroit, Mich. to Matthew and Laura (Kenyon) Ellis. She was a 1947 graduate of Andover Central School. On June 5, 1948 at Blessed Sacrament Church in Andover, she married Robert A. "Moose" Baker, who predeceased her on Jan. 2, 2008.
Dolores devoted her life to the care of her husband and the raising of her children.
Dickie is survived by a son, Robert J. (Cindy) Baker of Andover; a daughter, Amy (Rob) Hyland of Manassas, Va.; six grandchildren, Jay (Adam Parr) Baker, Andrea (William) Scott, Joshua (Kristina) Baker, Michael (Tracy) Tidd, Ashley (Bryan) Glynn and Adam (Nick Neglia) Hyland; seven great-grandchildren, Madelyn Tidd, Paul Tidd, Maria Tidd, Michael Tidd, Liam Scott, Maclyn Scott and Leila Baker; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by a daughter, Julie A. Gilmore; and three siblings, Gloria Saalberg, Ronald Ellis and Norman Ellis.
In many ways, Dickie's life was a perfect complement to the outgoing ways of her husband. She loved the quiet solitude of her quilt making and always insisted in doing them the old fashioned way by hand. Many family and friends were the recipient of her labors of love. Dickie was also an excellent seamstress and a wonderful baker. Her meals were always sumptuous and her Christmas cookies and custom cake designs a work of art. She and Bob loved antiquing and yard sailing together.
Dickie loved her house and home and the atmosphere that she maintained. She and her husband built it together and it became a haven for her love of cats and the bird feeders in the back yard. She was an immaculate housekeeper and yet kept it inviting for the neighborhood kids. Her children's favorite memories were the football games in the back yard, playing in the rabbit tree and the big bowl of popcorn in the evenings. To her family, she was the "greatest thing that walked." Dickie never missed her many children and grandchildren's soccer games and other sporting events.
Visitation will be held on Friday from 6-8 p.m. at Baker-Swan Funeral Home in Andover. The funeral service will take place on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home with Rev. Calvin Densmore of the Andover First Baptist officiating. Burial will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Online condolences may be offered at www.baker.swan.com.
Memorial contributions in Dickie's name may be made to SPCA Serving Allegany County, PO Box 381, Wellsville, N.Y. 14895.
