Colonel John “Jay” James Baker III

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Colonel John “Jay” James Baker III (retired U.S. Air Force) on April 19, 2025, after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease and multiple myeloma.

Jay was born on August 11, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York, to John “Jack” and Marie Baker. The family, which included his three sisters — Susan, Judy and Ellen — later moved to East Orange, New Jersey. He graduated from Immaculate Conception Catholic High School in Montclair, New Jersey, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Illinois College, where he met his beloved wife of 63 years, Diane. He later received an MBA from Pepperdine University and was a graduate of both the Squadron Officer School and the Air Command and Staff College. He also completed the Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course.

Jay’s Air Force career began in 1964 with his assignment as an Organizational Maintenance Flight line Duty Officer with the 438th Military Airlift Wing at McGuire AFB, New Jersey. From 1966 to 1967, he served as Officer in Charge of Aircraft Maintenance for the 535th Troop Carrier Squadron in Vung Tau, Republic of Vietnam. Later in life, he was a member of the C-7A Caribou Association, dedicated to the aircraft his team worked on during the Vietnam War.

Following his time in Vietnam, Jay held a variety of high-level maintenance positions at bases across the country, including McGuire AFB (NJ), Scott AFB (IL), Gunter AFS (AL), Hickam AFB (HI), Norton AFB (CA), and Travis AFB (CA). His final assignment was as Deputy Commander of Maintenance at Andrews AFB, Maryland, where he was responsible for managing the Air Force One fleet. His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters and the Air Force Commendation Medal. After retiring from the Air Force, he went on to become a successful business owner.

While his military and professional accomplishments were extensive, Jay’s greatest joy was spending time with his family. Affectionately known as “Pop,” he was beloved for his sense of humor and for playing silly characters with his grandchildren. He was a gifted storyteller and wrote a series of memoirs, often retelling favorite moments, like sharing a meal and baseball stories with Willie Mays or spending time with Jonathan Winters in Vietnam. An avid reader, he particularly enjoyed historical non-fiction. He enjoyed socializing and hosting events, especially the annual St. Patrick’s Day party he and Diane threw.

Jay and Diane traveled extensively, both for his career and for pleasure, visiting countries such as Turkey, Slovenia, Vietnam and many others across Europe and beyond. In retirement, golf became his passion. He played nearly every day—first in Sunriver, Oregon, and later in Sun City, Texas. A lifelong sports fan, Jay could still name the full roster of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers even as his memory declined.  Jay’s family has many fond memories of camping trips (first, in a large canvas tent and then the “tent trailer”) and family vacations to historical parks and monuments around the United States.

Jay ran for fitness (often with his dog) and ran several half and full marathons. Throughout his life, the family always had a dog and other pets, and in his later years, his loyal rescue mutt Riley rarely left his side.

Jay is survived by his loving wife, Diane; his children, Michael, Kevin, and Shelley; daughters-in-law, Julie and Lisa; and grandchildren, Josh (and fiancée Rosie), Kaitlyn, Chad, Tyler, Reese, and Zachary. He also leaves behind his great-grandson, Joshua; his sisters, Judy (and husband Tom) and Susan; his nephews, George, Brett, Scott, and Tom and their families; and his nieces, Debbie and Karen and their families.

A Catholic Mass will be held at Saint Joseph Catholic Church (date TBD), and his funeral service will take place at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, California, on May 13 at 1:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Gary Sinise Foundation 
(www.garysinisefoundation.org) or the Wounded Warrior Project 
(www.woundedwarriorproject.org).