[PADG:1767] REMOVE : John P. Baker, 1933-2002

["eximcon" <eximcon@xxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <A 
href="mailto:boomgaarden.1@xxxxxxx"; title=boomgaarden.1@xxxxxxx>Wes 
Boomgaarden 
To: <A href="mailto:padg@xxxxxxx"; 
title=padg@xxxxxxx>padg@xxxxxxx 
Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2002 6:28 PM
Subject: [PADG:1765] John P. Baker, 1933-2002
Colleagues:The 
New York Times, national edition, page C17, July 16, 2002 published this 
too-brief obituary for John P. Baker:  &#8220;John Philip Baker, 69, of Lake 
Delaware, Delhi, New York and formerly of New York City, passed away Friday, 
July 12 from ALS (Lou Gehrig&#8217;s Disease).  Services will be at 4:00 p.m., 
Sunday, July 21 at Saint James Episcopal Church, Lake Delaware.&#8220;We offer 
the following addendum, which is also a too-brief tribute: John, or &#8220;Phil&#8221; 
as he was known by many, was a leader in the development and management of 
programs for the preservation of library materials.  The son of Henry O. 
and Agnes (White) Baker, he was born Jan. 23, 1933, in Belmont, Mass., and 
received a bachelor of arts degree from Boston University in 1955, an MLS from 
Columbia University in 1965, and an MA from New York University in1984.  
In 1972, John became Chief of the Conservation Division of the Research 
Libraries, New York Public Library, and served in that capacity until his 
retirement in 1994.  At NYPL he guided preservation and conservation 
efforts in one of the nation&#8217;s largest and foremost programs.  John was 
widely published on the topic of preservation administration in libraries and 
archives.  He was widely admired for his mentoring of many interns in 
preservation administration, including many Mellon Interns, who in turn have 
become leaders in this field.   In addition to his work at NYPL, he 
served proudly with the committees of METRO, the New York Library Association, 
and the American Library Association&#8217;s Preservation of Library Materials Section 
(PLMS), where he was an elder statesman to the many enthusiastic young 
librarians involved in the cause of preservation.  John became ill not long 
after his retirement, and he lost his struggle with ALS last week.   
The Oneonta (NY) Daily Star&#8217;s obituary for Phil included the 
following:  &#8220;A member of St. James Episcopal Church in Lake Delaware, 
Phil was vice chairman of the Parish Council, chairman of the recent Search 
Committee and church archivist. He was also vice president and member of the 
Board of Trustees of the Bovina Public Library, a longtime member of the 
American Library Association, Beta Phi Mu fraternity, and Archons of 
Colophon.  Surviving are his friend and companion, John F. Loseth of Lake 
Delaware; a sister, Cleverly Weitemeyer of East Greenwich, R.I.; a brother, 
Henry Baker of California; and several nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand 
nephews.  &#8220;Services will be at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 21, at St. James 
Episcopal Church in Lake Delaware, where a Requiem Mass will be celebrated by 
the Rev. Jason Catania, assisted by the Rev. Ray L. Donahue, and burial will 
follow in the Lake Delaware Cemetery.  Memorial contributions may be made 
in Phil's name to the St. James Episcopal Church Memorial Fund, Lake 
Delaware.&#8221;Wes BoomgaardenDuane Watson