Leah Abbott Baker

Leah Helen Abbott Baker passed away on August 17, 2020 in West Valley City, Utah. She was born on October 21, 1933 in Omaha, Nebraska to Burton Donahue Abbott and Helen Pischke Abbott. The family moved to Salt Lake City in the early 1940’s when her father found employment with the Union Pacific Railroad.

Leah graduated from Judge Memorial Catholic High School in 1951. While at work she met a very nice young Catholic man named Herman Baker and she decided he was the one for her. They were married in November, 1952. Herman was in the 82nd Airborne in Germany at the end of WWII.

Herman accepted employment with the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico. In January, 1955 he and Leah arrived there and their son, Peter was born in March 1956.

After Peter graduated from high school and left for college, Leah joined the Laboratory in a weapons testing group. She was an excellent employee and earned a Distinguished Performance Award from the Laboratory and a Women at Work Award from the State of New Mexico.

Herman died way too early in 1992 after which Leah moved to West Valley to be near her extended family. She enjoyed bowling and playing golf and had two holes-in-one during league play at Meadowbrook. Five bouts with pneumonia that necessitated supplemental oxygen forced her to give up her athletic activities. She donated all of her gold equipment (and there was a ton of it!) to the First Tee run by the Utah PGA where children learn to play gold and to “succeed in life while learning the game of a lifetime.”

She found another interest in life, donating money to police departments to purchase service dogs. She fully funded seven dogs, two for West Valley and five for South Salt Lake. She donated lesser amounts to two other departments to purchase a total of four other dogs. Leah donated to many charities as well, helping to support medical research, feeding the hungry (both domestic and foreign), supporting veterans and supporting animals, both domestic and wild.

Leah is survived by her son, Peter (Patricia) Baker of Berthoud, Colorado, step grandchildren Heather (John) and Ryan, of Colorado and her sister-in-law, Carol.

Many thanks to Guy Taylor, her neighbor from across the street. He and Leah spent many pleasant years together. He took care of her yard and gardens, blew away the snow, and did home repairs where possible. In later years he carried in the groceries and retrieved the mail for her. Thanks again, Guy.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to either St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the West Valley City Animal Shelter.

A viewing will be held Wednesday, August 26 from 4-8 p.m. at Valley View Funeral Home located at 4335 W 4100 S, West Valley City, UT. Interment will be in the Santa Fe National Cemetery.