Obituary of Dwight W Baker

Dwight W. Baker 81, of Peyton, Colorado, passed away on March 27, 2023, after a long battle with cancer. 

He was born on October 27, 1941, in Sullivan County, Missouri to Herman and Cecile (Daniel) Baker. 

Dwight was the fifth of eight children.

Dwight joined the United States Air Force in 1960. He started his career in Lincoln, Nebraska where he met and married his wife, Helen (Abts) Baker on April 28, 1961. 

He served in the military for eight years in Civil Engineering and twelve years as a Survival Instructor. During those twenty years he was stationed in Nebraska, Missouri, Southeast Asia during the Viet Nam war, Colorado, Florida, Alaska and Washington. After retiring from the Air Force, the family settled in Peyton, Colorado. 

Dwight worked for Firebaugh Precast and then for Moore Construction, where they built cabinets, did home rehabs and other woodworking projects. 

Dwight's main interest, besides his family, was birds. He bought his first pair at the age of 12. He raised, trained and flew Racing Homers and showed other fancy pigeons. He also raised Doves and Chukar Partridges. Dwight enjoyed showing his birds to elementary students in the Colorado Springs area. Dwight served as president and treasurer of the Pikes Peak Homing Pigeon Club and was a member of the Colorado State Pigeon Association, Feather Fanciers, Rocky Mountain Pigeon Club and several others. 

Dwight and Helen enjoyed traveling extensively, visiting family and friends across the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe. Dwight enjoyed reading books and never left the house without a book in his pocket. He was a caring man who would give the shirt off his back to help anyone. He touched many lives during his time on earth and was loved dearly by his family and friends.

He lives on in the memory, and hearts and minds of his wife, Helen of almost sixty-two years; daughter, Kathy (Andres) Rodriguez; son, Randall (Rae) Baker; granddaughter, Valen Rodriguez; goddaughter, Laura (Corbin) Furnaval, and children, Frank and Faith; sisters, Rosalee Lopez, Ramah Steininger, and Doris Chenoweth; stepbrother, E.L. 'Sonny" Van Meter; bonus family, the family of Joe and Ruth Davis; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. 

Dwight was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Cecile Baker; stepmother, Esther Baker; brothers, Gerald, Kenneth, Garry and Edward. Gemma Furnaval, infant daughter of goddaughter Laura, and bonus family, Joe and Ruth Davis, Kristi Davis and John Bailey. 

Celebration of Life, 10:00AM, Friday, April 7, 2023, Newsong a Foursquare Church, 1515 North Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80909. 

Graveside Service 1:30PM, Peyton Cemetery, with full Military Honors and Bird Release.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations be made in Dwight Baker’s honor to St. Jude Children's Hospital.