Dr. Bruce R. Baker

Dr. Bruce R. Baker, age 88, passed away on December 28, 2021. He was surrounded in his last days and moments by his adoring family at his home in Davis, CA. Although natural causes took him away from us, his wise and kind heart will forever serve as an inspiration to the many who knew and loved him.

Bruce was born on February 24, 1933 in the panhandle of West Virginia. While helping out at his parent’s restaurant at age eight, a customer told him that the earth was an oblate spheroid and he would learn about that if he went to college. He had never heard of “college” but his ever-curious and brilliant mind was off to the races. He became his high school valedictorian in Woodbury, New Jersey, graduated from Bucknell University and became a Naval Intelligence Officer. After serving his country, he went on to medical school at Temple University and completed a psychiatric residency at Langley Porter, University of California, San Francisco. Jungian psychology then captured his imagination and he completed the psychoanalytic training program at the Jungian Institute in San Francisco and went on to be a leader at the Institute for many years. He helped countless patients in their struggles for over 50 years as a practicing psychiatrist in San Francisco and loved every minute of it. He was still counseling patients until shortly before his death.

Reading, canoeing, writing poetry, hiking, traveling, spending time with his family and making many lifelong friends were his passions. He loved the Bay Area and lived in San Francisco for 15 years and in Marin Country for almost 50. He is survived by the love of his life, Kay, to whom he was married for 52 years; his children Claudia, Judy (Ty), Chris (Dianna), Seth (Laurel), and Amy; and his grandchildren Sarah, Bryan, Selena, Leo, and Max; and great-grandchildren Elora and Holland. He is also survived by his sister Sunny (Don); nieces and nephews. He will be eternally missed for his sage advice, one-liners, gentle spirit and his loving, accepting nature.

Donations can be made in his name to the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco.

A private, family celebration of his extraordinary be held at a later date alongside the Russian River.