Edwin "Ted" M. Baker

Edwin M. “Ted” Baker December 20, 1923 to September 3, 2021 Former Register-Guard Publisher and volunteer fundraiser Edwin “Ted” Baker died September 3, 2021. He was 97. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he was the third child of Alton F. Baker Sr. and his wife Mildred Moody Baker. He moved to Eugene in 1927 at the age of 4, when his father bought the Guard newspaper, which Baker Sr. then merged with the Register in 1930 to form The Register-Guard. Ted grew up a stone’s throw from the University of Oregon. He attended the First Congregational Church on Harris St., which his father had helped to establish. He loved the outdoors and Boy Scouting. A member of Troop 2, he earned his Eagle Scout rank at Camp Lucky Boy on the Blue River in 1936. This was to serve him well during the war. Ted graduated from University High in 1942, and after brief summer as a lookout for the Willamette National Forest, began attending the University of Oregon. He enrolled in the Army Enlisted Reserve Corps. The Army conscripted the entire Corps in the spring of 1943. After basic training at Camp Roberts in Calif, he was shipped to New Hebrides, Fiji, Guadalcanal and eventually to Bougainville, an island in the Solomon chain. While defending an observation post on Hill 260, he was severely wounded, during a Japanese onslaught that left every other man in the patrol dead. Ted escaped after the fight by rolling down a steep cliff, eventually making his way to the Torokina River, where he spent three days behind enemy lines. In part he credited his scout training for his survival. This was the pivotal moment in his life. Praying to God to bring him out of the jungle alive, he vowed that he would devote his life to helping others. Eventually he was able to hobble out to allied forces and after 9 months in Army hospitals, returned to Eugene 60% disabled. He earned the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. Upon recuperation, he returned to the University, completing his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1948. He began helping his father with fundraising campaigns for the Boy Scouts and the Community Chest (later United Way.) He also began work at the paper, first as an Advertising Salesman, and later as Advertising Director, General Manager and eventually Publisher, retiring in 1988. In 1954, he married Patricia Ann Petersen, and they had three children: Bridget, Amanda and Jonathan. He divided his time between family, work and volunteerism. He headed fundraising campaigns for the Boy Scouts, United Way and the Hult Center. He served on the Board of the University of Oregon Foundation and went through the chairs at the Oregon Pacific Economic Development Corporation and the Eugene Chamber of Commerce. He was named Eugene’s First Citizen in 1982. Following the death of his wife from cancer in 1983, he met and married Marie Kottcamp Randall, a widow and a fellow church member. Together, they became a force for community service, co-chairing fundraising campaigns for their church, the Museum of Art, Sacred Heart Foundation, Birth to Three, the Eugene City Library, United Way’s DeToqueville Society, Volunteers in Medicine and the Pearl Buck Center. Ted served his industry as president of the Oregon Newspaper Publisher’s Association, and received many local and state awards and honors for his fundraising and community board service. Marie and Ted enjoyed running, golf and travel. Ted joined the Sister City delegation to Kakegawa, Japan, which was a healing experience for him after the war. They spent part of the winter each year in Hawaii, where they became the center of the social activities at their rented condominium. They made hundreds of trips up I-5 to Portland in order to be present for each and every grandchild, rarely missing a birthday or special event. Both Marie and Ted suffered strokes and were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. In April, both tested positive for CoVid19. Marie passed on May 15th. Ted lingered until September, the fighting spirit always strong in him. He is survived by his children: Bridget Baker Kincaid (Keith), Amanda Baker Barber (John), and Jonathan Edwin Baker (Jeannette), his step-children: Steven Randall (Kitzie), Mark Randall (Barbara) and Bruce Randall (Tracy), grandchildren: Travis, Annie, David, Cole, John, Sarah, Andrew, Ben, Jay, Kaitlin, Erin and Daniel along with eleven great-grandchildren. A joint memorial service is planned for Ted and Marie on Thursday, November 18 at 2:00 p.m. at the Shedd Institute, 868 High Street in Eugene. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Oregon Trail Council Boy Scouts of America, the United Way of Lane County or Pearl Buck Center. Arrangements entrusted to Musgrove Family Mortuary. Please access the obituary and you are invited to sign the guestbook at musgroves.com