LUANN L. BAKER

LuAnn L. Baker, 64, died Friday, December 24, 2021, at the Hospice Home of Hope in Fond du Lac after her cancer returned this fall.

She was born December 23, 1957, in Monroe, WI, the daughter of Roman F. and Coyla M. (Mead) Baker.  LuAnn attended Newark Elementary School until her family moved off the farm in 1968. She graduated 2nd in her class from Brodhead High School in 1975. For 2 years she attended UW-Whitewater, followed by UW-Madison graduating in 1980 from the School of Pharmacy. She spent the summers during college working as cashier and teaching swimming lessons for the Brodhead Municipal Swimming Pool and as a member of the Brodhead Recreation Singers.

Her pharmacy internship took place at Reis Pharmacy in Brodhead. She was a pharmacist for 10 years at Milton Avenue Pharmacy in Janesville. In 1991 she moved to Fond du Lac working as a pharmacist for Chatterton Pharmacy (5 yrs), K-Mart (5 yrs) and Walgreens (10 yrs). During the past year she worked as a lifeguard at the Aquatic Center in Fond du Lac.

She treasured watching her nieces and great nieces/nephew grow up and enjoyed attending their events.  Her passions were swimming and singing. Growing up she was a chorus and church choir member and joined the Brodhead Swim Team being proud of her success especially in the butterfly stroke. She excelled at sports trivia as she enjoyed watching all sports (especially the Wisconsin Badgers and the Olympics), bowled for many years, and travelled internationally whenever her work schedule allowed.

In the past few years, she designed patterns and helped to sew quilts for the St. Martin Ashford quilters.

She was a member of the Fond du Lac Women’s Chorus serving as Sunshine Chairperson, the LIVESTRONG Group, the Tuesday Cancer Group at Tucker’s, an Aquatic Center group of friends, the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, and Holy Family Catholic Church serving as a cantor in the past. She looked forward to attending her high school class reunions and enjoyed visiting with classmates at the recent reunion in August.

In 1984, she revived our mother enabling family to have one more week with her prior to her passing away.  LuAnn was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, insisting on driving herself to her treatments. In 2016, our father moved in with her and she lovingly took care of him until his death a month short of his 99th birthday in 2017.

LuAnn is survived by her sister, Mary Baker, Campbellsport, WI; brothers, Robert R. (Julie) Baker of Oakfield, WI, and Stephen J. Baker of Brodhead, WI; four nieces, Shelly (Greg) Kottke, Oakfield, WI, Melissa Baker, Oakfield, WI, Mickey (Nate) Oechsner, Brownsville, WI, Bobbie (Cory) Immel, Oakfield, WI; great nieces, Megan, Marissa, and Miranda Kottke; great nephew, Evan Immel, and step great niece Natalie Oechsner.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by grandparents and aunts and uncles.

The family thanks the staff and volunteers at Agnesian Cancer Center and Hospice Home of Hope for their compassionate care.  LuAnn was generous to many charitable causes so in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Fond du Lac Women’s Chorus, or please donate to a charity of your choice in her name.

VISITATION: Friends may call from 9:30 – 11:30 AM, on Thursday, December 30, 2021, at Sacred Heart Church of Holy Family Parish, 200 South Peters Avenue, Fond du Lac.

SERVICE: Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:30 AM on Thursday, December 30, 2021 at Sacred Heart church of Holy Family Parish.  Burial will be held at Newark Cemetery in the Town of Newark.

Kurki Funeral Chapel & Crematory is serving the family, www.kurkifuneralchapel.com. 920-921-4420