Robert Roy Baker

Robert Baker, 86 of San Luis Obispo passed away on January 22, 2019.

He was born during the Depression in Illinois.  He was the youngest of eight children; three brothers and four sisters. 

Robert was encouraged by a neighbor to be the first person in his family to go to college.  He went on to graduate from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. 

After spending time as an officer in the United States military, Robert decided to move west to start his family.  He loved the Central Coast and called it God’s country.

He was proud of his work building bridges in the Army Corps of Engineers, and as a General Dynamics employee on the Atlas Missile Launch Team at Vandenburg Air Force Base.

In the 1960’s he co-founded West Coast Construction Company.  In the 1970s he branched out on his own to build, R. Baker Inc., a successful pipeline and utility construction business.  After he retired he visited the office daily to “check up” on how things were going.

His hobbies included snow skiing and flying his airplanes.  He enjoyed walking around his acreage in San Luis Obispo to pick vegetables from the garden and fruit from the orchard.  Feeding the many animals on the ranch, particularly the chickens, brought him joy. 

He was a true Patriot. He could be characterized as a mix of Johnny Cash, John Wayne and Ronald Reagan; strong, bold, opinionated and conservative.

His memory will be forever cherished by his wife of 28 years Cheryl, and his children Dorenda, Joyce and Roger. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Robert Roy Baker, please visit our floral store.