baker_biography

Kenneth L. Baker, ET1(SS)

Kenneth Baker was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1942. He was the third of four children born to O.L. and Hazel Baker. He enlisted in the Navy after high school.

While stationed at Dam Neck, Virginia, attending electronics school, he received orders to the USS John C. Calhoun (SSBN 630). Reporting aboard in August of 1963, as a commissioning crew member, and plankowner, he was also one of the few who got to ride her down the ways at launching.

Kenneth married his wife Barbara, the daughter of Henry and Evelyn McKeon, in February 1965 in Mt. Prospect, Illinois. His scheduled wedding was a good enough excuse that he was able to miss the Blue crew missile firing at Cape Canaveral (he was the only crew member on leave during the exercise shot).

After qualifying in submarines, making six blue crew patrols, and being advanced to Electronics Technician First Class, Kenneth transferred to the USS Odax for a few months TAD prior to being discharged from the Navy.

Upon discharge, the family moved to the suburbs of Chicago (Hoffman Estates and Bolingbrook) for about ten years, then on to Peoria for another five years. Kenneth was employed by Honeywell Information Systems for several years and then he was employed by Digital Equipment Corporation.

In 1982, the family moved to Derry, New Hampshire. Since his days with Digital, Kenneth has worked for Data General, Electronic Data Systems, Ericcson, and Bluesocket, Inc.

Kenneth and Barbara have three sons; Ken, who lives nearby in Danville, New Hampshire, Randy, who lives in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and Greg, who currently resides in Palm Harbor, Florida.