William G. Baker

William G. Baker, 66, died Saturday, June 20, 2009. A lifelong resident of New Castle, he was born in Henry County, a son of the late Leah Ledgerwood Baker McIntyre and Carl Baker. Bill enjoyed playing golf (most of the time), traveling, and sharing stories with a “small hint of the truth” with friends and family. He graduated from New Castle High School in 1961 and Earlham College in 1965. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Indiana University Law School, Indianapolis, in 1970 and from George Washington University Law School with a masters degree in urban law in 1972. After law school, Baker was a trial attorney in the Civil Division, US Department of Justice, and later a special assistant to the Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division, US Department of Justice. Baker was an attorney in New Castle since 1973. He was active in citizenship education through the Indiana Bar Association and the Center for Civic Education. He was one of the founding fathers of the “We the People-the Citizen and the Constitution” program and the longest serving chair of Indiana’s Citizenship Education Advisory Committee, and a member of the Center for Civic Education’s National Advisory Committee. He was chair of Governor Orr’s Committee on Civic Education; and a member of Indiana Bar Association’s Bicentennial Commission (Constitution and Bill of Rights). He was the attorney for the New Castle Community School Corporation for 30 years. He served on the Burkett scholarship committee for the Henry County Foundation and was a member of the Rotary Club and First Friends Meeting. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Jane; son, Jay (wife: Jeanne) Baker of Sullivan, IN; daughter, Jill (husband: Aaron) Smith of East Grand Rapids, MI; granddaughters, Kayla and Emma; brother, Jon (wife: Sharon) Baker of Connersville, IN; mother-in-law, Garnet Showalter of Muncie, IN; and several nieces and nephews. Services will be held at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at First Friends Meeting, New Castle. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Burkett Scholarship Fund/Henry County Foundation P.O. 6006, New Castle, IN 47362 or www.henrycountycf.org or the Indiana Bar Foundation Civic Education Fund 230 E. Ohio St., 4th Floor, Indianapolis, IN 46204 or www.inbf.org. Arrangements are in the care of Sproles Family Funeral Home. You may send the family a personal condolence at www.sprolesfamilycares.com.

Tributes

William G. Baker

November 12, 1942 - June 20, 2009