- Date Of Death: April 2, 2016
- State: New Mexico
Laura Mae Baker passed away, peacefully in her sleep on April 2, 2016. She had always had an unshakeable faith in God, and it gave her strength through good times and these difficult times. She is survived by her husband; sons, William Howard and James Dale; daughter, Laura Ann; and grandson, Joshua Dale. Her parents were Oscar and Mattie Mae Cullen of Austin, TX.
She was born and grew up in Austin, TX where she attended and graduated from Austin High School (1948) and The University of Texas (1952). At UT her majors were voice and piano. She then married William E. Baker, a schoolmate at both institutions and who was employed by Sandia Corporation, and they came to Albuquerque to live. She was a resident for 64 years.
Her piano and voice lessons at an early age convinced her that music was to always be in her life. This early activity made her choice of majors at UT easy. She continued studying voice and performing in Albuquerque, and she started teaching private lessons as soon as she had her family “up and moving around.” The dual activities of teaching and taking care of a family were both done with great love, energy and wisdom. While a bit small in stature she was large in strength and the needed skills for the tasks of her life. She derived her greatest enjoyment from teaching voice and piano to people, mostly young ones, giving them skills and knowledge that would enrich their lives forever, as it did for her. I never ceased to be amazed at what she and the student could accomplish by working together. She did this until cancer made it impossible for her to teach. At this time she still had two students, and they still brightened her day as they came through the doors as she opened it with a smile and a twinkle in her beautiful blue eyes.
She will be buried in Austin, TX, the city she loved so much. Oh, how we wish we could read this to her and get her comments and give her a hug.
Tuesday, April 12th, 2016, 5:00pm – 7:00pm, FRENCH – Wyoming
