Edwin I. Baker

  Edwin Baker of Goshen passed away on Monday, October 23, 2017 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center after battling complications from Alzheimer's disease.  Ed was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1930, the son of Edwin and Doris Baker of Duxbury, MA.

  Ed worked for many years as a Duxbury firefighter before marrying and moving to Goshen, New Hampshire where he worked for Joy Manufacturing Company, followed by more than two decades at Mount Sunapee State Park as an aerial lift mechanic and foreman, retiring in 1986. 

  Ed served in the United States Army, 955th Artillery Battalion, during the Korean Conflict.  Upon returning from overseas,he joined the Goshen Volunteer Fire Department in 1954, becoming chief in 1972 and retiring from that service in 1992.  He served the Town of Goshen in many ways including Budget Committee, Board of Selectmen, a charter member of the Goshen Historical Society, Trustee of the Trust Funds, Deputy Forest Fire Warden, and more.  He received the Mount Sunapee Grange Community Citizen Award in 1979.

  He was an avid outdoors-man and was quite adept at farming whether it was caring for animals (white-face Herefords, pigs, goats, chickens, …), haying, gardening (always plenty to share with neighbors), cutting firewood, maple sugaring, or just tinkering to keep a piece of equipment running a bit longer.  He was always available to help friends and neighbors.  Ed's relaxations included reading (John Gould, Leo Stapleton, or other chosen from a large library), writing short poems or ditties for special occasions, ice fishing, teaching homeopathy classes in area communities, or walking and hiking (sometimes a chore to keep up with his long stride and brisk pace).  No matter where he was, you could easily find him because he loved to whistle; in the woodlot, in the garden, on the sidewalks of Newport or even in the bank, he whistled, seemingly an endless variety of tunes.

  Ed is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years, Phyllis (Ghidoni), his three children, Nancy and her husband, John; Richard and his wife, Colleen; Susan and her husband, William; three granddaughters, Kristen and her husband, Kevin; Dana, and Lauren; two great grandchildren, Taylor and Ryan; as well as by his sister, Doris and her husband, John; and several nieces, nephews, cousins.

  Calling hours will be on Saturday, November 4, 2017 at the Newton-Bartlett Funeral Home, 42 Main Street, Newport, NH, from 2:00pm – 4:00pm to be followed by a brief memorial service at 4:00pm also at Newton-Bartlett.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Goshen Fire Association, PO Box 304, Goshen, NH 03752.

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