Obituaries

Brad Baker

Brad Baker CHARLESTOWN — Brad (Bradley) Baker, 45, of Charlestown, New Hampshire, died unexpectedly Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Charlestown. He was born in Springfield, Vermont, on May 19, 1975, to Raymond and Gail (Smith) Baker. Brad was a lifelong resident of Charlestown. He graduated from Fall Mountain Regional High School in Langdon, New Hampshire, where he played varsity soccer and track. He also played hockey for Pleasant Valley Hockey Association. After high school, he attended Plymouth State College. Brad started off his lifelong career in machining at his father’s shop, Raymond Baker Precision Inc. in Springfield, Vermont, working side by side in the family business with his father and brother. He spent the bulk of his career at Latva Machine Inc. in Newport, Vermont, where he again would work alongside his father and brother. Brad also worked for a brief time at Green Mountain Metals in Claremont, New Hampshire. More recently, Brad took a job at Concepts Nrec in White River Junction, Vermont. He was brilliant with numbers and calculations. He put his pride into every job, every part he produced. Always willing to share his knowledge with his peers. Brad also tended bar at the Sumner House in Charlestown, New Hampshire, on Sundays, where patrons were greeted with a friendly “How we doin’?” He truly loved his Sumner family, on either side of the bar. Brad loved sports, especially the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Lions. Briefly, he owned a sports card shop in Claremont, New Hampshire. He will be remembered by so many from playing softball behind Mal Tool in Claremont, New Hampshire, coaching hockey at PVA in Saxtons River, Vermont, being the athletic trainer at Fall Mountain Regional High School. There are so many ways in which Brad touched people’s lives. He had such a passion for life and in everything he did. He was an avid fisherman by land, boat or kayak. He took great pride in the landscaping around his home. He was a devoted father, son, big brother and Papa, a mentor, a protector, an “Enforcer.” He always found the time to help a neighbor with mowing or snow removal or just to shoot some hoops with the kids next door, or hopping on his Harley to do “the loop” with his best friend, Kenny. Brad lived such a rich life in such a short time. He was the rock for his family, and his presence of life is deeply missed by all who love him. Brad is survived by his wife and soulmate, Jamie (Hayes) Baker, of 13 years; his son, Zackery Baker, and his daughter, Chelsea Baker, along with their mother, Tammy Vartuli, all of Lebanon, New Hampshire; his son, Aidan Hayes and fiancée Sarah Briggs, his daughters, Taryn Rivard, Tyra Olmstead, all of Charlestown; his grandchildren he loved so dearly, Charlotte, Kendall, Maddox, Elliott, Benjamin, Samuel and Aspyn; his father, Raymond Baker and wife Michele of Charlestown; his mother, Gail (Smith) Baker of Claremont; his brother, Nathan Baker of Charlestown, and sister Allyson and husband Troy Dominiak of Claremont; his mother-in-law, Barbara Hayes, and father-in-law, William Page and wife Vickie, all of Charlestown. He was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Charles and Irma (Braun) Baker; his maternal grandparents, Phil and Phyllis Smith; his Uncle Charles “Dan” Baker, Michael Smith and his Aunt Bonnie (Smith) Raabe; as well as his son, Timothy Olmstead. Graveside services will be held Friday, Sept. 11, at 1 p.m. in Pine Crest Cemetery in Charlestown followed by a Celebration of Life at his home. Arrangements are with Stringer Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 146 Broad St., Claremont, NH 03743. To view an online memorial or send a private message of condolence, visit www.stringerfh.com.

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