Thomas Allen Baker

On February 15th, the day after Valentine’s Day 2024, Thomas (Tom) Allen Baker stepped off the planet into the waiting arms of Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior. Tom died peacefully in his sleep. He was 66 years old.

Growing up in the U.S. Air Force, Tom was a third-culture kid. He lived in Morocco, where he watched snake charmers, rode camels, and visited the Sahara Desert. He vacationed with his family in Spain and saw barbary apes in Gibraltar. He ran track in high school on the then Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona. He snowskied and water skied. It was a glory to watch him on a water ski — he was graceful, beautiful. Tom swam and he boated. He floated down the Salt River in inner tubes. He loved the beaches of San Diego, Santa Barbara, and the Mexican Sea of Cortez.

Tom’s life was hard, yet meaningful. Tom, an Arizona State University (ASU) graduate, spent most of his adult life in a wheelchair after being paralyzed in a car accident at the age of 20. He reclaimed meaning for his life following the accident. He began competing in Paralympic swimming, played on a wheelchair basketball team, and found a new community of friends who navigated their lives with disabilities.

In his 20’s, during a Bible study on the book of Mark, Tom placed his faith in Christ, asking Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. He once told his brother, John, that if he had to choose life in a chair with Jesus or life on his feet without Him, he’d choose the chair with Jesus. Tom prayed for others and had a deep concern for the spiritual wellbeing of those he loved.

In the mid-1980’s, Tom became an uncle to his two nieces Talitha and Heidi. Talitha recalls that “Tom was always like a big kid. He was probably the only member of the Baker family who actually liked to bake. He would take my sister and me swimming, teach us the game of Monopoly or Checkers, and he playfully made up the funniest (and truly oddest) games.”

In 1989, Tom married the love of his life, Jan Fisher, and they bought a home in Tempe near the ASU campus. Together, they filled their home with the beautiful art and ceramics that Jan collected, Tom’s competitive swimming medals, and countless memories. They traveled to Hawaii, became active members at Bethany Community Church, delighted in attending cultural shows like the ballet, and enjoyed the benefits of living near the vibrant ASU college campus.

In their wedding vows, Tom and Jan promised to stand by each other “in sickness and in health.” They took that promise seriously, helping each other navigate various health challenges until Jan’s death in 2006. After Jan’s passing, Tom adorned his room with photos of Jan — she was a striking beauty. He never stopped loving her.

After Jan’s death, Tom moved into a skilled nursing facility, discovering a new community. Here, he played chess with anyone else who was willing, grew his white beard out annually to play Santa Claus for fellow residents, met new friends, and developed meaningful relationships, including a romantic relationship with a woman who predeceased him.

One friend who he met in the nursing facility, Dr. Danita Applewhite, wrote that, “we helped each other rehabilitate physically, emotionally, and spirituality for almost 20 years. He always focused on improving mental wellness, specifically suicide intervention… He wanted people to understand how to dig deeper when it looks like someone is sad.” Tom served on the Board of Directors of the White Apple Institute, founded by Danita, which provides community outreach programs for underserved veterans and others living with disabilities. This harkened back to work he did in his younger years, including serving as a volunteer counselor for seriously mentally ill adults in a South Phoenix psychiatric crisis facility.

Anyone who knew Tom knew that he radiated pure love, and he was blessed with a wonderful macabre sense of humor. For example, he used to wear a shirt that said, “I crawled the Grand Canyon.” Even when life was hard, he found joy and humor.

Tom’s wife, Jan, predeceased him, as did his father, Bill, and his mother, Edith. His brother John, and his sister Ande, remain, along with nieces Talitha and Heidi, and Heidi’s daughters, Rosalind and Irene. He was also loved by cousins, in-laws, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Tom was an incredible friend to many, and these bonds are also as strong as family ties. We celebrate the life Tom had and the joy he gave.

We know that when a loved one passes, there may be a desire to donate to a charity in their honor. Tom’s family invites you to give to the Joni and Friends’ Wheels for the World initiative because it so directly embodies Tom’s values. Wheels for the World provides life-changing mobility and the hope of the Gospel to people impacted by disability worldwide.

He loved deeply and was deeply loved by others. Tom gave generously, whatever he could, whenever he could. He was a giver. He was a lover. He was our friend. We will miss him. We cherish his memory, his laughter, his love, and his legacy. Tom, we will never forget you. We will always love you.

John 11:25-26

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mariposagardens.com for the Baker family.

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