Sarah Jackson Baker

Baker, Sarah “Susie” Jackson, age 70, passed away on August 17, 2018, in a boating accident on the Pamlico River in Bath County, North Carolina. Her beloved husband, Thomas Preston Baker, age 72, also died in the accident. The couple was inseparable during their more than 50-year love affair, and their family takes comfort that they were together at the end. Susie was born October 24, 1947, in Greenville, North Carolina, to Earl Jackson and Janie McPhail Jackson. The youngest of four children, she was 16 years younger than her closest sibling. She enjoyed her status as the baby of the family and did little to deter her parents’ efforts to spoil her. Susie also enjoyed the company of a large group of close childhood friends, and she maintained lifelong friendships with many of them. A graduate of J.H. Rose High School in Pitt County, North Carolina, she met her future husband at a Sigma Nu fraternity party at East Carolina University in 1965, beginning a lifelong relationship that would last for more than half a century. After marrying on November 23, 1967, Susie and Tom honeymooned at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. Last year, they returned to the Greenbrier to celebrate their 50th anniversary. After moving to Richmond in 1968, she began her life’s work as a homemaker. She was an exceptional cook, specializing in Southern cuisine. Whether it was her famous Thanksgiving turkey or everyday favorites like chicken and rice or Brunswick stew, Susie took great pride in having family and friends gathered around the table to enjoy a delicious meal. A highlight of every year was the much-anticipated Christmas Eve dinner she prepared for her family. She lovingly presided over a home that was the favorite hangout both for friends and their children. Her house was unfailingly immaculate, but always comfortable and full of life and friends. Despite chronic health issues related to a broken neck she suffered in 1982, Susie was a fighter and she refused to let her injuries slow her down. Outside of the home, she volunteered at Retreat Doctor’s Hospital and at the Cougar Shop at Richmond Collegiate School. In 1991, she and her husband moved to Charlottesville. She enjoyed shopping, but even more, she loved people. She never met a stranger, getting to know and taking an interest in many of the people she met around town. Susie was a kind listener, a thoughtful friend, a loving wife, an amazing mom and grandmother, and a compassionate caretaker who would’ve been a great nurse. She and husband Tom shared a well-developed sense of humor and always approached their lives with a fun and youthful outlook. They loved doing things together—from family beach vacations to Nags Head and Salter Path in North Carolina or socializing with their many friends. Susie is preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Janie, brother Earl Jackson Jr., sister Betty Jane Paul and brother Vester Jackson. She is survived by her son Preston Baker, her daughter-in-law, Michelle Baker, and grandchildren Thomas and Sophie Baker, of Atlanta; her daughter Mollie Krebs, her son-in-law, William Krebs, and grandchildren Sarah Frances and Ballard Krebs, of Charlottesville; her brother-in-law Sam Baker and sister-in-law Barbara Baker, of Williamsburg; nephews Sam and Bryan Baker, of Virginia; and nieces Janie White and Susan Gargis, of North Carolina. A memorial service is planned for Monday, August 27, at 2 PM at Grace Episcopal Church in Keswick, Va., with a reception following from 3-5 PM at The Clifton Inn. A family-only graveside service will be held the following day in Richmond. In lieu of flowers, please direct donations to University of Virginia Children's Hospital in memory of Tom and Susie Baker: PO Box 800773, Charlottesville, VA 22908, or childrens.uvahealth.com, or 434-924-8432.