Richard “Dick” Calvin Baker, a teacher and translator who cultivated a lifelong fascination with languages, cars and Latin America, passed away peacefully on February 17 at the age of 90, as a light snow fell in New Rochelle, New York. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, to parents Luther and May, Dick was the first member of his family to attend college, receiving a Masters in education from the University of Missouri.

He joined the Army in 1956 and held a succession of jobs in service to his country. He worked at the US consulate in São Paulo, Brazil, in the 1960s and then returned to the United States, where he taught high school Spanish in the Washington, DC area and, in later years, ran a small translation firm called PS2E: “Portuguese and Spanish to English.”

Dick was a voracious reader who loved a good pun, the Peanuts cartoon strip and dancing to country music. He had a truly unusual mix of creative and practical talents: an excellent self-taught painter and photographer who also relished working with his hands on home repair and other projects. He loved his longtime companion Betty and her sons Jim and Mark. He is survived by his children Michelle, Gregory, Marta, Chuck and Erica; his grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and his former spouse, Nesira.

A small service will be held to honor his memory at Chapel Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens in Kansas City, Kansas on March 30, 2024, beginning at 11 am. As a tribute to his legacy, charitable contributions can be made in the name of Richard Baker to the University of Kansas Department of Spanish and Portuguese. 

https://bit.ly/KU-PS2E

Editor’s note: This obituary was provided by the family.