Bev Baker, a Navy veteran and a 1975 graduate of East Hampton High School, died on Jan. 27 at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Ill. Most recently of Carthage, Ill., she was 67 and had been sick for an unknown length of time.
In Illinois, where she spent most of her adult life, she was the founder of the Friends of Argyle Lake State Park Foundation, which promotes education, recreation, and conservation of the park.
Her family and her faith were central to her life. “She lived her beliefs through acts of kindness and community involvement,” her family wrote. She “created unforgettable memories for her family with trips to Disney World and shared her love of the arts by taking each grandchild to the Fox Theatre” in St. Louis.
Beverly J. Collum was born in Southampton on June 7, 1957, to Thomas (Tim) Collum and the former Mary Lou Carson. She played softball and field hockey at East Hampton High School.
She then enlisted in the Navy and completed quartermaster school at the Naval Training Center in Florida. She went on to serve two years in Japan alongside her future husband, Boyd M. Baker, whom she had met during boot camp. They were married in April 1977; he survives.
After returning to the States, Ms. Baker earned an associate’s degree at John Wood Community College in Quincy, a bachelor’s degree at Quincy University, and a master’s degree from Western Illinois University with a concentration in recreation and tourism administration. She went on to have a 21-year career with the computer help desk at Western Illinois University. As its manager she had a reputation for problem-solving expertise.
Her interests ranged from romance novels and college sports to “Star Trek” and Monty Python. She enjoyed cooking and traveling and “could always be counted on for a good laugh,” her family wrote.
In addition to her husband, Ms. Baker leaves three children, Micky Roberts of Wayland, Mo., Keegan Baker of Quincy, and Shannon Kissinger, and her husband, Earl Varner, of Carthage. Eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild also survive, as do a brother, K.C. Collum of East Hampton, and many in-laws, cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Ms. Baker had been a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church of Carthage. A funeral Mass was said at St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church in Quincy on Feb. 4. Her family has encouraged that trees be planted in Ms. Baker’s memory, or donations can be made to the Friends of Argyle Lake State Park Foundation at 120 East Calhoun Street in Macomb, Ill. 61455.
