Ollie Baker Obituary

Ollie Ray Baker
November 27, 1935 - October 30, 2022
Wendell, North Carolina - Ollie Ray Baker, 86, passed away at his home on Davistown Road, Wendell on Sunday, October 30th. He was born on November 27, 1935, on Edgemont Road in Wendell to the late Brodie Burl Baker, Sr. and Jessie Liles Baker. He played football, basketball and baseball at Wendell High School and graduated in 1954. Then he attended East Carolina College on a partial baseball scholarship for 1 year and 1 quarter. In 1955, over his Thanksgiving break, he convinced the employment office at Westinghouse to let him take their qualification exam to become a tool and die maker and give him a job before he had to sign up for the next quarter at East Carolina on the following Monday.
Ollie married the love of his life, the late Doris Morton Baker, a former Miss Knightdale. She preceded him in death on June 25, 2013. After 35 years of service, he retired from Westinghouse. He began his second "career" as a soybean farmer and continued to play golf nearly every day. Once, he and his golfing buddies decided they would see just how many holes they could play in a day and with the cooperation of all the others on the course who would stand aside when their group came through, they played 99 holes. Ollie was an avid sports fan all his life. He travelled to Scotland to play golf at St. Andrews with his brother, Brodie and made many other trips with Brodie to play and to watch him play. But most notably, he attended the Master's Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia for 50 years. He was very interested in young people playing all sports and spent many hours watching various youth play. He also enjoyed hunting, travelling to Nebraska, Colorado, Dakotas, and all over North Carolina. Ollie was the founding director of Wendell Country Club, Inc. in 1985. His daily routine included a couple trips to the country club, and he could be found on the front porch most every day at 5 o'clock.
He leaves to cherish his memory: sisters: Merrilyn Baker Allen and Joy Baker Davis of Wendell; sister-in-law,-Caroline Baker of Bermuda Run, and special nieces and nephews, affectionately referred to as "the grandkids".
In addition to his parents and wife, Ollie was preceded in death by his brother, Brodie B. Baker, Jr. and brothers-in-law: Warren Allen, and Leary Davis.
A service to celebrate his life will be held at 2:30 p.m., Friday, November 4, 2022 at L. Harold Poole Funeral Service Chapel, 944 Old Knight Road, Knightdale, N.C. Burial will follow at Greenmont Cemetery in Wendell.
Following the graveside, the family will receive relatives and friends at a reception at Ollie's favorite place, Wendell Country Club, 180 Jake May Drive, Wendell, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. Other times, the family will be at the home of Joy Davis at 1729 Davistown Road, Wendell.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wendell Historical Society, 122 West 2nd Street, Wendell, NC 27591.
Condolences to the family may be sent to poolefuneral.com under Tributes.