Cover photo for John Baker's Obituary
John Baker Profile Photo
1942 John 2015

John Baker

November 9, 1942 — January 31, 2015

John Baker was a graduate of Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland; and then received his BA, cum laude, from John Carroll University; his JD from Boston College Law School; and a Honorary Doctor Of Laws degree from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine. He studied United States Constitutional & Legal History in the Graduate School of John Carroll. He was awarded the John Carroll University Alumni Medal, and the John Carroll University Centennial Medal by the Faculty of its Department of History. He served as a national trustee/delegate of the Boston College Law School Alumni Association.

John was a Trustee of John Carroll University for 12 years, President of its National Alumni Association for 2 years, as well as chairperson of its Alumni Annual Fund. He was also Chairman, and a member of the Board of Trustees, of the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, over the course of two decades.

His professional memberships included the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (member, Special Committee to Form the Judicial Conference of the Eighth District Court of Appeals; Past Chair & member of the Judicial Selection and of the Assistance to Lawyers Committees; & member, Judicial Election Monitoring Commission); the former Cuyahoga County Bar Association; the Ohio State Bar Association (Insurance Committee, Lawyers Assistance Committee, & Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program Volunteer); the American Bar Association; the American Society of Law, Medicine, and Ethics; and the National Association of College and University Attorneys (Chair, Risk Management Section).

Mr. Baker had been 'Of Counsel' to, and was a retired partner of, Weston Hurd LLP (Assistant Managing Partner and member of the Management Committee). He was a member of the Bars of the Supreme Court of Ohio, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States. He lectured on & taught medical law at The Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine and the Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry. He had been a frequent presenter at CLE conferences on procedural and substantive litigation matters, higher education law, insurance, ethics, professionalism, substance abuse, and other subjects.

Recently, a major focus of Mr. Baker's volunteerism was at the University Hospitals' Case Medical Center, Office of Pastoral Care and Ministry. He also dedicated his efforts to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation's Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Center; and had past involvement at Recovery Resources, and the Boards of Club 24 and the former Fresh Start. John spoke on Recovery From Brain Attacks from a patient's perspective, and also advocated on behalf of stroke victims and the National Stroke Association.

John M. Baker, age 72 of Cleveland Hts., OH. Beloved husband of Peggy Baker (nee Keeffe). Dear father of Elizabeth Baker (Joel VandeVusse), John M. (Casey), Megan Baker (Mark Ruppel ) and Amy Baker. Loving grandfather of Olivia and Eleanor VandeVusse, Rowan and Riley Ruppel. John was predeceased by his parents John and Alma.

John retired from Weston Hurd in 1999. The greatest joy in his life were his four children and four granddaughters. John continued to volunteer at UH up until the week before he was admitted to the hospital.

The family prefers that those who wish make contributions in his name to John Carroll Class of 1964 Scholarship Fund, 1 John Carroll Dr., University Hts., OH 44118 or to Hospice of the Western Reserve, 300 E. 185th St., Cleveland, OH 44119.

A Memorial Mass will be held on Thursday, February 5th at 10 AM at Communion of Saints Parish (St. Ann Church), 2175 Coventry Rd., Cleveland Hts., OH 44118. FRIENDS MAY CALL ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH FROM 5-7 PM AT BROWN-FORWARD, 17022 CHAGRIN BLVD., SHAKER HTS., OH 44120.




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