Mary Lou Baker, age 85, of Alliance, died at her home at 7:00 p.m. Friday, May 4, 2012.
She was born August 20, 1926, in Youngstown, Ohio, to Henrietta Florence (Schley) and Clyde Calvin Belcher.
Mary Lou graduated from South High School in Youngstown, and the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio as a registered nurse in August 1947. She was a member of the U.S. Public Health Cadet Nursing Corps.
Mary Lou received the Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year award in 1975. She was a member of Town and Country Garden Club, Alliance Woman's Club, Coterie Club, Sorosis Club, Quota Club, Doctor's Wives Club and Alliance City School PTO's; holding leadership positions in many of these organizations.
She volunteered her time in the community with the Blood Bank over multiple years, preschool clinics, High School Now Committee, subbed as an Alliance High School clinic nurse, volunteered at Port Isabel Elementary School in Texas and hosted numerous Rotary Exchange Students from Ecuador, Spain, Aruba, Japan, South Africa, Sweden, Costa Rica, and Australia. She also hosted young adults from Spain with the YMCA International Camp Counselors program.
Since the death of her husband of 52 years, Mary Lou filled her time with visits to her children and grandchildren, friends, and international travel. On many of these trips, she was able to reunite with her former exchange students.
She also continued involvement in many of her social clubs, became a contributor to the Greater Alliance Foundation and continued her philanthropy to the YMCA and her church, St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
Survivors include her children: Jeffrey (Maureen) Baker of Carmel, Indiana; Joan (Mike) Bankes of Newark, Ohio; Tom (Robin) Baker of Midlothian, Virginia; Chip (Karlette) Baker of Chattanooga, Tennessee and Ann (Eric) Storck of Vienna, Virginia; and 14 grandchildren.
Preceding her in death were her parents; husband, William Donald Baker, MD., whom she married January 17, 1948 and who died July 25, 2000; sister and brother-in-law, Margaret and Ron Confer and second son, Daniel.
In lieu of flowers, family requests memorial contributions to the Alliance Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice, 885 S. Sawburg Rd., Ste 106, Alliance, Ohio 44601.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 3 p.m. Monday (today) at St. Joseph Catholic Church with Fr. Matthew Mankowski officiating. Friends may call from 1 to 3 p.m. today at the church.
Interment will be at Fairmount Memorial Park, with a reception to follow at the Baker home.
Arrangements are by Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral Home, 75 S. Union Avenue, Alliance, Ohio 44601.