James ‘Jimmy’ Baker of Aracadia, Florida, And Formerly Of Eastport, Dies May 21 - 27 East
logo logo logo logo

Obituaries / Southampton Press / 1788486

James ‘Jimmy’ Baker of Aracadia, Florida, And Formerly Of Eastport, Dies May 21

icon 1 Photo
James ‘Jimmy’ Baker

James ‘Jimmy’ Baker

author on Jun 10, 2021

James “Jimmy” Baker of Arcadia, Florida, and formerly of Eastport, died in Sarasota, Florida on May 21. He was 83.

Mr. Baker was born in Southampton on August 28, 1937 to Julia (Seaman) Baker and Harry S. Baker.

He was brought up on the family duck ranch in Eastport and graduated from Eastport High School. As Mr. Baker would tell you, from then on, he had a very full, eventful life, his family said.

Mr. Baker was a 65-year member of the Eastport Fire Department, in which he became the department’s first district mechanic. He was chief of the department at the time of the 1995 Sunrise Wildfires, one of the largest brush fires in the department’s history. He was also a Suffolk County fire coordinator.

He was married on September 11, 1965 to Marianne Truskoski, and they were married for 55 years. They resided in Eastport until moving permanently in 2012 to their home in Arcadia, never forgetting the fire department or the many friends they had made over the years.

Mr. Baker was well known for his vast knowledge of mechanics and equipment repair, and could fix just about anything. He loved building and working on 8N-V8 tractors, displaying his tractor and 1940 Ford pickup at shows and events. He also loved his airboat, running it on the river and giving rides to friends and relatives.

He was predeceased by his parents and sister Judy Ann Stys. He is survived by his wife Marianne (Truskoski) Baker; mother-in-law Helen Truskoski; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Funeral services were held at the Moloney-Sinnickson Funeral Home in Center Moriches on June 1, with Firematic services that evening, and religious services on June 2. He was laid to rest in the Eastport Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to the Suffolk County Volunteer Firefighters Burn Center, 101 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, N.Y. 11794.

You May Also Like:

Southampton Police Reports for the Week of April 18

SOUTHAMPTON VILLAGE — A Southampton Village Police officer on patrol saw a large amount of shattered glass in the roadway at Southampton High School on Narrow Lane on April 8 at 11:13 a.m. The officer did not notice any vehicles that may have sustained damage. SOUTHAMPTON VILLAGE — Village Police officers responded to the Hamptons Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing on April 8 at 2:29 p.m. and assisted the Stony Brook Hospital Transfer Center medical team in trying to persuade a patient to go to Stony Brook Hospital for treatment, but the patient refused to comply. The nursing staff sedated ... 17 Apr 2024 by Staff Writer

Southampton DWI Arrests for the Week of April 18

Sebastian Andres, 28, of Riverhead was arrested by Southampton Village Police on April 14 at 3:34 a.m. on County Road 39 in Southampton and charged with misdemeanor DWI. Police said that an officer stopped Andres for vehicle and traffic law violations and Andres performed poorly on multiple field sobriety tests. Rocael Chun-Sacul, 36, of East Quogue was arrested on April 6 at 11:38 p.m. on Montauk Highway in Quogue and charged with aggravated DWI, a misdemeanor. Quogue Village Police said they observed him operating his vehicle erratically, crossing over double yellow lines and shoulder lines, and a traffic stop and ... by Staff Writer

Westhampton Beach Elementary Teacher To Study in Prague

Westhampton Beach Elementary School teacher Jennifer Wagner will be studying in Prague this summer after ... by Desirée Keegan

Flesh-Eating Bacteria, Toxic Algae, Oxygen-Starved Waters Were Widespread in 2023, Thanks to Nitrogen and Warmer Waters

Record-high temperatures globally and in local waters fueled the steadily worsening water quality crisis in ... by Michael Wright

Traffic Task Force Considers Short- and Long-Term Solutions at Inaugural Meeting: ‘Think Big’

The Southampton Town Board’s Traffic Mitigation and Safety Task Force, created in February to address ... by Christopher Walsh

Photos To Remember: John Buchbinder Uses Pictures To Combat Alzheimer’s Memory Loss

Eidetic memory — or, more colloquially, photographic memory — is the ability to recall a ... by Michelle Trauring

No Farmers, No Character

The bumper stickers used to be ubiquitous on the roads: “No Farms No Food.” The slogan is a registered trademark of the American Farmland Trust, which mails out those bumper stickers for free to anyone in the United States who requests one. It’s a simple, accurate message, but it’s one that is lost on many people who think food comes from the grocery store or Amazon Fresh and forget that these retailers are merely intermediaries. On the South Fork, one doesn’t need to drive far in any direction to come across farmland. It is one of the pleasures of living ... by Editorial Board

Everyone Poops

It’s the title of Tarō Gomi’s beloved children’s book, which has, for nearly 50 years, been delivering a simple but universal reminder: “Since we all eat, we all must poop. All of us! Everyone!” It doesn’t seem like fodder for this space — but, increasingly, more and more people behave as though (how shall we put this?) their own poop is perfumed in a unique way. We are all trapped together on an island that, though long, is densely populated in places, and increasingly so. As a result, we are slowly befouling this place we call home, polluting groundwater with ... by Editorial Board

At the Helm

1994. It’s hard to imagine, but despite being a matriarchal society, that was the first year Shinnecock Nation women were permitted to vote on tribal matters. And it wasn’t until 2013 that the nation had its first female on the Council of Trustees. So it was great to witness the momentous milestone on April 2, when Lisa Goree was elected the new chair of the Shinnecock Nation Council of Trustees. She joins Bianca Collins, who continues serving as trustee, and Linda Franklin, who, as sunksqua, has an important nonvoting advisory role. It’s encouraging to see the nation vote Goree into ... by Editorial Board

Mass-Casualty Drill To Be Staged at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital

Stony Brook Southampton Hospital will participate in a full-scale mass casualty surge exercise with local police, fire and emergency medical services departments on Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon. The exercise is a drill and will not disrupt hospital services. Staff, patients and visitors will have unrestricted access. Area residents will also have access to and from their properties during the training. Participating emergency vehicles will be on-site as well as patient actors. Road closures are anticipated to take place, include Meeting House Lane between Lewis Street and Old Town Road; Lewis Street between Meeting House Lane and Herrick Road; ... by Staff Writer