Edward Joseph Baker (original family name Mierzejewski) died peacefully July 27, 2023, after a battle with cancer. Edward was born on Sept. 2, 1946, to the late Edward and Mary Jane (Meaney) Baker in Syracuse, N.Y. He and his brother, Randolph and late sister, Joanna grew up together in Clay, N.Y.
He graduated from Liverpool High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maine at Orono.
Ed was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war.
He was stationed at Fort Monmouth, N.J., and served as a trainer in the Signal Corps.
As an EE, Ed worked for Polaroid in Cambridge, for several other companies and taught CAD systems to engineers.
Ed loved learning and early in the PC age he taught himself several programming languages and WEB communications.
As an SAP programmer, Ed worked at Analog Devices in Norwood, Mass., afterward as a contractor and ultimately at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Waltham, Mass.
The family lived in Norfolk for 30 years. Besides his family, Ed’s primary loves were music and flying.
He taught himself the guitar, pedal steel guitar, uke and piano. Ed was a private pilot since college.
He and his wife, Joanne, built two experimental planes and ultimately owned the Woodstock Airport in Connecticut for 4.5 years – owning an airport being Ed’s lifelong dream.
He leaves his wife of 45 years, Joanne (Giordano) Baker of Woodstock; , a son Donald Baker (partner Rachael) of Providence; a daughter, Katherine (Baker) Murray (husband Benjamin) of Canton, Mass.; four grandchildren: Joseph, James and Amelia (Mia) Murray, and Esther Baker.
Visiting hours will be from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at Gilman Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 104 Church St, Putnam. A short service will follow, concluding with interment with military honors at the Elmvale Cemetery, Roseland Park Road in Woodstock. Donations: Westview Nursing Care Center, 150 Ware Road, Dayville, CT 06241.

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