- Date Of Birth: July 25, 1932
- Date Of Death: May 12, 2015
- State: Idaho
Robert A. (Spike) Baker died on May 12, 2015 in the timber frame home he built on the Payette River in Gem County.
Spike was born in Boise, Idaho on July 25, 1932 to Alton (Pete) Baker and Marjorie Gerlach Baker who lived in Mayfield, Idaho. He was nicknamed “Spike” at an early age and he maintained the name came from his parents putting him in a gunny sack and hanging him on a spike on the wall while they attended community dances at Mayfield. Prior to entering school he moved to the rural freedom of South Boise where he was raised by his grandparents Mary and Conner Gerlach and his three uncles. Gerald and Leonard Gerlach taught him to hunt, fish, trap and use woodworking tools. Richard Gerlach taught him to ski and gave him his first camera.
He attended Garfield Elementary, North Junior High and graduated from Boise High School.
In 1958 he married Judith D. (Judy) Adair who had worked for him as an Assistant Fire Dispatcher on the Boise National Forest. Determined that she would enjoy the outdoors as much as he did, he bought her a heavy duty down sleeping bag, an equally warm down coat, and a pair of insulated boots. Apparently it worked – they shared an enjoyment of the outdoors for 56 years.
Spike invested major effort into learning photographic techniques and began by documenting his early backpacking trips into the Sawtooths, boat trips on the Bruneau and Jarbidge Rivers, hiking in the Owyhee mountains, salmon fishing at Dagger Falls, hunting trips in the Salmon River country, etc. He purchased a large format (4×5) Linhof view camera and for many years he spent almost a month each spring hiking and photographing the red rock country of southern Utah. He saw the impact of uncontrolled use on the fragile desert and donated his photographs to support the establishment of Canyonlands National Park.
Over time, Spike began to realize the power of photography to communicate the “specialness” of places and animal species and he eventually specialized in 35m/m digital wildlife photography with an emphasis on birds. Travelling by air, rail, RV, riverboat, Zodiac, dugout canoe, Tundra buggy, snowcoach, elephant and foot on all seven continents, he (and Judy) lugged ever larger amounts of photographic equipment to unusual and interesting places.
Spike was predeceased by his sister Pat Craddick Pulley and his cousin Richie Gerlach. He is survived by his wife; his sister JoAnn Craddick Eisenberg and her husband Rod; his brother Roger Craddick and his wife Becky Sloan; his brother-in-law Bill Pulley and his wife Peggy; his cousins Phil Gerlach and his wife Leora Parker, and Tully Gerlach and his wife Christine Zimowsky and their families. He would also tell you that his life was enriched by the presence of many interesting and caring long-time friends who provided their support including special almost-relatives Amy Faulkner Hunter and Scott Faulkner. He also wanted to express his appreciation to his long-time friends and neighbors Gene and Judy Cole and Jim and Sandy Lancaster and his special St. Lukes Hospice Team of Cheryl, Iris and Katherine and his caregivers Rylan and Kristine.
Spike was intensely focused and productive, generous, humorous, a great storyteller with a harmonica in his pocket, always open to new experiences and cultures. His last photography show “Hummingbirds of the Americas” will be on display at St. Alphonsus Hospital, 1055 N. Curtis Road, Boise from July 1 to 31.
