James Ward Baker, age 78, of Elkton, MD, passed away Saturday, November 27, 2021. Born in Cleveland, OH, on April 6, 1943, he was the son of the late Harvey and Margaret Ann Potra Baker.

A beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Mr. Baker was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam War, he served as a lieutenant aboard a nuclear submarine. He attended officer basic submarine school, nuclear power plant operators school, and prototype school. A graduate of The Ohio State University with a BS in Aero-Astro Engineering, Mr. Baker retired from Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies as a mechanical engineer. He holds three patents for various innovative technologies. Mr. Baker enjoyed kayaking, scuba diving, motorcycles, fishing, Christmas tree farming, and running. A licensed airplane pilot, he loved flying.

Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Judith Smith Baker; children, Laura Hebert (Craig), Greenbelt, MD, and Emily Baker, Olney, MD; grandchildren, Riley James, Owen Richard, Eliana Angelie, Catherine Rose, Maya Jo, Audrey Noelle, and Mikaela Joy; and siblings, Harvey Baker, Delray Beach, FL, and Catherine Barry, Manhattan, KS.

Memorial service with military honors will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, December 13, 2021, at Hicks Home for Funerals, 103 W. Stockton Street, Elkton, MD, where visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Interment in Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Cherry Hill, MD, will be private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Tunnel To Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY  10306.