John Philip Baxter

John Philip Baxter, devoted Husband, Father & Brother, who was born in Dallas on May 20, 1943, passed away after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s Disease on January 28, 2017 at Silverado Memory Care Center in Plano. He was 73. He was the only son of the late Mary Virginia (Ginny) Williams and the late Philip Keith Baxter, Lt. USAF, both of Dallas. Lt. Baxter was reported MIA in November, 1942 before John was born. From age 5, John was raised by his dedicated stepfather, the late George S. Hiland and leaves behind his treasured and deeply devoted wife and partner, Jeanne. They resided in Plano.

John and his former wife, Wynne Chilton Baxter, now

of Colorado, were the parents of three surviving children. George Hiland Baxter, wife Sally, granddaughters Katherine and Brooke of Dallas, and daughters Martha and Evalyne Baxter of Colorado Springs. John is predeceased by his daughter, Margaret Gertrude “Gitty” Baxter who died in 2005. Also surviving is his half-sister Gigi Hiland Rollins, her husband Gary and two nephews.

John’s early years were spent in University Park. He attended Highland Park schools and graduated from St. Mark’s School of Texas in 1962. He graduated from Wesleyan University in Middleton, CT in 1966 with a degree in Government.

John enjoyed a highly successful business career as an associate of his mentor and Godfather, the late H. R. “Bum” Bright. In John’s senior management capacity, he served as construction manager for the Dallas Cowboys Training Center in Irving as well as for the renovation of the original Texas Stadium. He held licenses as a Certified Property Manager and Real Estate Broker. He was very active in politics and served as treasurer for Phil Gramm in his first Senatorial campaign in 1984.

John was a longtime, former member of Brook Hollow Golf Club and The Idlewild and Terpsichorean Clubs of Dallas. He was a founding member of Rush Creek Yacht Club and a member of the Texoma Sailing Club. He served on the Board of Visitors of Texas A&M at Galveston for thirteen years.John loved sailing since a teenager and became a highly-skilled and accomplished Captain. John and Jeanne sailed competitively and won many competitions on Lake Texoma and in the Gulf of Mexico. Many sailors dream of sailing on the open sea. In a “dream come true”, John and Jeanne enjoyed ten years sailing up and down the East coast between Maine and Trinidad. John outfitted their boat “Falcon” very specially so he and Jeanne could sail the Atlantic and Caribbean without additional crew.

John was extremely, mechanically gifted. From age 3, he dazzled his family, teachers and peers with his intuitive understanding of how machines worked. He used these talents in all aspects of his life. It was often hard to determine whether he derived more pleasure from taking things apart or successfully putting them back together. At age twelve he built a “go-kart” powered by a lawnmower engine supplied by George Hiland. He built a radio that actually worked using a WWII Army Field Telephone and an old “crank” telephone.

When he discovered Rock & Roll, he responded to a need for a Heathkit Hi-Fi, so he built his own sound system that included a gigantic speaker, much to his parents’ and his neighbors’ chagrin. We all feel sure that upon his recent arrival at the Pearly Gates, John had a few “constructive” improvements to suggest to St. Peter. John loved camping in Colorado and Big Bend. He was fascinated both by model trains and real trains alike and rode the Silverton-to-Durango steam train every chance he got. All of his life, John was an avid adventurer who was filled with wonder and was never happy sitting still.John’s life’s journey was cruelly cut short but he has

now come to rest at anchor in “that one particular harbor” every sailor ultimately seeks.

A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday February 4 at 10 am at Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home with burial to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, who’s single urgent goal is to eliminate Parkinson’s disease:

https://www.michaeljfox.org/tribute/tribute-page.php?id=20095