Allen Baker, Sr.

FORT SMITH - Allen Hugh Baker, Sr., 87 of Fort Smith, entered into eternal rest on Wednesday, January 17, 2024. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri on June 7, 1936 to the late William Allen Baker, Sr. and Mary Powers Baker. His paternal grandparents are the late Allen Hill Baker and Marie McCloud Baker. Maternal grandparents are the late John Hugh Powers and Mary Blong Powers. He is recently preceded in death by his older brother, William Allen Baker, Jr.

A graduate of Georgetown University (BSS, Class of ‘58), Allen earned an MBA from Harvard University (Class of ‘60). At Georgetown he was a member of the Tennis Team and the Rifle Team. He received an Honorable Mention from the NRA’s Collegiate All-American Program in 1957.

Allen served in the United States Air Force from 1961 to 1973, first as Airman Third Class in the Air National Guard of Arkansas and later as 2nd Lieutenant and 1st Lieutenant, United States Air Force Reserves.

He met his wife of 62 years in Boston where she was working at the Harvard Business School, and they were married in 1961. He began his career here in Fort Smith with Arkansas Best Freight Corporation.

Allen and Madaline lived in Brazil for 13 years, where he held various positions for the Anderson Clayton organization in Sao Paulo. When he joined United Technologies International in 1977, he became Area Director of South America, headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. Allen and Madaline returned to the U.S. in 1981, when he became Director of International Business Development for Norden Systems, a division of United Technologies. Upon his retirement in 1991, Allen and Madaline moved back to Fort Smith, where he proudly joined the Board of Directors of the First National

Bank of Fort Smith. Allen’s father William Allen Baker, Sr. was a Director and Vice-President of the bank for more than thirty years.

In retirement, Allen and Madaline enjoyed many years dividing their time between Fort Smith and their beautiful ranch in Pagosa Springs Colorado, exploring the San Juan mountains on horseback and making lifelong memories with their children, grandchildren and Pagosa friends. Allen was a member of the Mounted Rescue Team of the Upper San Juan Search & Rescue for several years.

Allen is survived by his wife, Madaline Wentworth Baker; two daughters, Parke (Joseph) Kennedy, of Memphis, TN and Whitney (John) Baske, of Pfafftown, NC; his son, Allen Hugh Baker, Jr. of Colchester, VT and his four grandchildren Madaline Kennedy McCune (Shane), Sophie Parke Kennedy, Emma Baske Woods (Jeremy) and Meghan Marie Baske.

Visitation will be from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Thursday, February 1 at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel, with a Rosary Service at 6:00 pm.

Funeral Mass will be at 11:00 AM Friday, February 2 at Christ the King Catholic Church, with interment at Calvary Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home of Fort Smith. There will be a reception for family and friends at Hardscrabble Country Club following the interment.

Pallbearers will be Allen Hugh Baker Jr., Joseph Albert Kennedy, John Joseph Baske, Michael Joseph Baker, Shane Graham McCune and Jeremy Allen Woods.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or go to www.stjude.org, or to the Good Samaritan Clinic, 615 North B Street, Fort Smith, AR 72901 or go to www.goodsamaritanfs.org.

To view the online guestbook, please go to www.edwardsfuneralhome.com