In Loving Memory of Joe Bob Baker

Joe Bob Baker, 92 of Amarillo died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, in Amarillo, Texas.

Joe Bob was born on May 17, 1930, at the Eklund Ranch near Clayton, NM to Anna Dell Wagner and Clarence Grover Baker.  He was a resident of Clayton, NM until he retired and moved to Amarillo, TX in 1983.

While growing up in Clayton, Joe Bob earned the honor of Eagle Scout while in high school. He was also a summer camp counselor at Philmont Scout Camp near Cimarron, NM.  While attending high school, he began working as a custodian at the telephone company in Clayton. Following his graduation from Clayton High School in 1948, Joe Bob attended Borger Junior College. Joe Bob enlisted in the United States Army as a communications technician in 1955, and he served in South Korea with the Army Signal Corps in 1956. Joe Bob returned to Clayton and returned to Mountain Bell Telephone Company where he worked for the next 35 years serving as the manager of the Clayton and Taos Telephone Exchanges.

Joe Bob married Patsy Jane Robinett on January 30, 1960, and they resided in Clayton until they his retirement from the telephone company 1983. Joe Bob served on the Board of Directors for the Clayton Public Schools. Job Bob was a member of the First United Methodist Church.

After moving to Amarillo in 1983, Joe Bob and his family became active members of St. Stephens’s United Methodist Church. Joe Bob was employed as the Customer Service Manager for the Claydesta Telephone Company and then as a Manager for Love’s Country Stores until his full retirement in 2000. After his retirement, he continued to serve as a volunteer at the Amarillo High Plains Food Bank. Joe Bob especially loved his family, grandchildren, and friends, and he enjoyed spending time with them and traveling.

Joe Bob was preceded in death by his loving wife of 55 years, Patsy Jane, and his two brothers, Billy Bryan Baker and Clarence Leonard Baker. He is survived by his daughter, Kerri Vincent, and her husband Ken of Annapolis, MD; two sons, Joe Pat Baker and his wife Kris, and Mike Baker, all of Amarillo, TX; six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made in Joe Bob’s honor to St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church, 4600 S. Western Street, Amarillo, TX 79109.

Joe Bob’s interment will be a private service for immediate family on Monday, June 13, 2022, in Clayton, NM.