Vera Baker

Vera Marie Baker passed away on October 6, 2026, just shy of her 88th birthday.

Some people are born with a nickname. Others acquire one by accident. Vera Baker got hers when her young niece couldn't quite pronounce “Aunt Vera.” Somehow, it came out “Aunt Birdie,” and the name stuck. It couldn't have suited her better. Cheerful, chatty, quick to laugh, and happiest around the people she loved, Vera was affectionately called ‘Birdie’ by her husband, children, and extended family for the rest of her life.

Born in Galveston, Texas, on November 1, 1938, to Charles and Eunice Jones Powers, Vera was the oldest of three children. Her early years weren't always easy, but life had a wonderful surprise waiting when, at 15, she transferred to Central High School in Independence, Missouri. When she walked into a classroom, she caught the eye of a fellow student named Jerry Baker. He promptly nudged his friend and said, “I'm going to marry that girl.” Four years later, he did.

Their marriage lasted 66 years, taking them through the adventures, challenges, and unexpected turns of a life built together. While Jerry studied architecture at the University of Colorado Boulder, Vera remained in Kansas City, working as a photographic retouch artist. Later, while their children were in school, she worked in cosmetics, then managed the jewelry department at Stix, Baer & Fuller.

Over the years, Vera and Jerry made homes in Missouri, Kansas, Georgia, New York, Kansas again, and eventually Arizona. They spent 18 years in Georgia, primarily in Marietta, with a few years in the North Georgia mountains at a cabin Jerry designed and the couple built with the help of friends and neighbors.

A devoted Christian, Vera found comfort and community in her faith and especially enjoyed Bible study. She was an excellent cook and baker, a talented gardener who loved arranging flowers, especially gardenias, orchids, and tulips. She also adored animals, particularly her little dog Maggie, whose companionship brought her tremendous joy.

Vera also had a mischievous streak that could turn an ordinary afternoon into a lifelong memory. Once, while gardening outside the family home, her 12-year-old daughter gave her a little sass and flicked water at her with the garden hose. Vera responded by soaking her thoroughly. The ensuing water fight moved through the front door and into the living room, leaving them both drenched and laughing—and then frantically mopping up the evidence before Jerry came home. With dinner preparations hopelessly behind schedule, they cheerfully announced they were taking him out to eat. He never knew why.

Vera was never particularly good at being alone. When her son Mitchell recently called to say he was sick and couldn't visit that day, she responded immediately: “Can't you come over here and be sick?” That was Vera. She loved having her people close.

One of the most extraordinary gifts of her later years was discovering and reconnecting with her half-sister, Marilyn. After spending most of their lives apart, the two finally met in Kansas City and became, quite simply, thick as thieves.

Following Jerry's passing, Vera remained in Arizona for another year before returning to Overland Park, Kansas, to be closer to family. Her son Mitch and his wife Dawn, her sister Marilyn, and longtime family members were nearby. She also stayed close to Jerry's sister Connie and her husband Gary, their daughters Whitney and Julie, along with many other relatives and friends, including Linda and Chuck Adams and Ann and Darrell Skantz.

In the week before her passing, Vera enjoyed visits from many of these loved ones, including Connie and Gary, who traveled from Texas. For a woman who was happiest in the company of others, it was a fitting final chapter.

Vera was preceded in death by her husband, Jerry Lee Baker; her sister, Eunice Powers; her brother, Charles Powers; and her half-sister, Ottie Thrasher. She is survived by her son, Mitchell Baker, and his wife, Dawn; her daughter, Adina Baker, and her husband, Obren Bokich; her grandsons, Kevin, Matthew, and Ryan Baker; six great-grandchildren; and her sister, Marilyn Dodd, along with an extended family and many friends who loved her dearly.

Vera lived a life filled with family, friendship, laughter, and more than a little mischief. Those who knew her will remember her warmth, her wonderful stories, her gentle laugh, her instinct to take charge when someone needed help, and her knack for turning an ordinary day into anything but ordinary.

And to the people who loved her best, she will always be Birdie.

A celebration of life is scheduled for 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM on November 1st, 2026 at Thompson Park, Strang Carriage House, 8045 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, Kansas 66204. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Kansas Humane Society in honor of Vera’s lifelong love of animals.