Marshall Earle Baker

Marshall Earle Baker of Wilmington, DE, passed away peacefully on January 21, 2019 at the age of 90. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Dorothy Russell Baker.

Born on April 6, 1928 in Washington, DC to Earle Octavius Baker and Marion Smith Baker, Marshall attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington DC, class of 1945. While attending college at MIT, Marshall participated in the glee club, the sailing club, Alpha Chi Sigma, and Theta Delta Chi. His fraternity brother, Lindsay Russell, introduced his sister Dorothy to Marshall. Marshall graduated from MIT with a Bachelor of Science (1948), and a Master of Science (1950) both in Chemical Engineering. On December 9, 1949, he turned in his master’s thesis, just in time to marry Dorothy the next day.

Nine days after the wedding, Marshall started his career working at DuPont. Except for a short time spent as an industrial hygienist in the Army, he continued to work for DuPont until he retired in 1988. For over 50 years, Marshall stayed connected to MIT by interviewing prospective students as part of the Educational Council. He was honored with the George B. Morgan Award in recognition of this commitment.

Retirement allowed him to spend more time pursuing hobbies and enjoying his growing family, most especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Through his hobby of researching family genealogy, Marshall served on the board of the Mayflower Society of Delaware as the Membership Chairperson and as a member of the Finance Committee. The family is fortunate that Marshall published a collection of autobiographical short stories, titled Stories of My Life. Marshall’s love for running prepared him for three marathons, as well as carrying the Olympic flame for one half kilometer through Wilmington on its way to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Each of Marshall’s six grandchildren recall how he enjoyed participating in their childhoods. Marshall and Dorothy built a cottage on Cape Cod to spend more time with their grandchildren. His children and grandchildren cherished their visits with their Grampy and Grammy. Marshall and Dorothy also brought the family together each summer for a much-loved vacation at Capon Springs and Farms in West Virginia, continuing a tradition established by his own father.

In addition to his wife, Marshall is survived by two sons, Clark Baker (Miriam), and Edward Baker (Karin). Other survivors include six grandchildren: Eva Baker (Franz Placke), Hazel Baker (fiancé Daniel Rubinton), Stephen Baker (Sara), Allison Urban (Edward), Louis Baker, and Cassandra Baker; two great-grandchildren; and one sister, Dorothy Stewart.

The family wishes to thank the staff of The Country House and of Vitas Hospice for the care that they gave Marshall during the end of his life.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 2nd at The Country House, 4830 Kennett Pike, Greenville, Delaware. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to MIT Educational Council Fund (c/o Memorial Gifts Office, 600 Memorial Drive, W98-500, Cambridge, MA 02139) or to a charity of your choosing.