Tributes from Fellow Scientists

IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Newsletter
October, 2012

*  IN MEMORIAM OF JAMES ROGER BAKER-JARVIS (1950-2011)  *

Reza Zoughi -- Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri:
It is with great sadness and extreme feeling of loss that I assemble this Memoriam. Dr. James Baker-Jarvis was much loved and respected by those whom he came in contact; most of all, his family members, who can best describe their feelings of love for him.

From the January 2012 "NIST Connections" Newsletter

Jim Baker-Jarvis and his wife
navigating the Brown's Canyon
Zoom-Flume Rapids.

(Photo courtesy of
Baker-Jarvis family)

Obituary:

James Baker-Jarvis

Written by James Burrus

James Roger Baker-Jarvis, a two-time Bronze Medal winner who worked in the Boulder Labs Electromagnet­ics Division of the Physical Measurement Laboratory, died shortly after noon on New Year’s Eve while driving with his wife, Karen, on the North Foothills Highway north of Boulder. High winds blew a tree branch about 3 feet long and 3 inches in diameter through the windshield, strik­ing Baker-Jarvis in the chest. He was able to steer his car to the side of the road and stop before losing consciousness. He was 61.

An avid outdoorsman, Baker-Jarvis is remembered by his wife and children as a spontaneous man who dreamed of riding across the United States on a bike and who was always thinking about work. “Every­thing, all over the house, had equations written on it; receipts, envelopes, maga­zines,” Karen says.

Remembering Jim on His Birthday

Jim would have been 62 today. His siblings are gathering for dinner, to remember Jim and share a toast in his honor. His sister, Rose, emailed this brief memory of his 9^th birthday.

Jim’s 9^th Birthday (February 8, 1959)

This morning the memory of Jim's 9th birthday came to mind.  It was during the first year that we lived at 1975 Carl St., and Mom had a few boys over for a birthday party for Jim.  I remember that Mark Allard gave Jim a kite.

The weather was similar to today - kind of cold and windy, with almost no snow.  Right after the party, Jim took the kite out to fly in our yard and immediately the kite got caught in a tree by the golf course fence.  He was so eager to fly it - I can picture that happy look of anticipation in Jim's eyes, but I don't think it bothered him too much that it got caught in the tree.

We saw that kite stuck up in the tree for quite a few months afterwards. I shared that memory with Jim on his birthday last year.  Do any of you remember that?  That memory always stuck with me, as I must have been there throughout his party, observing everything, and went outside with Jim to fly the kite.

-- Rose, 2/8/2012

Article from UMD Physics Newsletter, Spring, 2003

In 2003, the Physics Department at the University of Minnesota-Duluth asked Jim to describe his journey thus far for their “Catching Up With Grads” column. Here is what Jim wrote.

James Baker-Jarvis, MS '80
I graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 1975 with a BS in Mathematics. Then with Karen, my future wife, I climbed mountains and bicycled all over North and South America for a few years. We had many “near-death” climbing experiences.

The main goal in my life has been to pursue my passions. One way to do this was to have two retirements, one when young and one when older.

Text of Memorial Service

MEMORIAL SERVICE
James “Jim” R. Baker-Jarvis
(1950-2011)

Ahlberg Funeral Chapel
326 Terry St.
Longmont, CO 80501
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
Performed by: Jeff & Julie Oxenford (violin/guitar)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WELCOME/GREETING
Rev. Lydia Ferrante-Roseberry

We are gathered here this afternoon to honor the life of James Baker-Jarvis, a life that ended tragically too early.

Memories from Jim's friend, Poppy Benson

Riding the Rails

I always wanted to ride the rails, so I was thrilled when I met Jim through Rovers in about 1970 and learned he was planning to lead a freight-hopping trip to the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming. First we would make a slight detour to Seattle to gear up at REI. In those days, there was only one REI and traveling a thousand miles to the Mecca of gear seemed to Jim a really reasonable thing to do. I was along for the adventure so I didn't question this much.

Memories from Jim's friend, Terry Grier

Bicycling With Jim

It was the spring of 1970 when Jim Baker suggested he and I take a long bicycle trip. I had done a lot of biking but had never thought about a cross-country ride and probably would not have done one without his prompting. It turned out to be a real adventure that few besides Jim and I ever knew about. It has been many years since I saw Jim and only talked to him once on the phone in recent years but have a good feeling and fond memories just thinking about him and our trip.

Poem posted by Jim's niece, Teresa Nuckols

Here is a poem that I came across the day that Jim died.
~~~~~~~~~~
NEVER FAILED US
By Celia Thaxter

Upon the sadness of the sea,
The sunset broods regretfully;
From the far, lonely spaces, slow

Withdraws the wistful afterglow.

"Oh, Jimmy" (poem by Joe Baker)

          Oh, Jimmy

Tonight I will dream of the wind.

"Like Mountains" (poem for Jim by Joe Baker)

         Like Mountains

I searched for you on the cracked and aching mountain
And stood at the jagged edge.

"Light" (poem for Jim by Joe Baker)

          Light

I am a pilgrim
On a deserted highway
Cut through the high plains

The Coldest Night, and a Boat Ride, by John Grosvenor

I have some great memories of Jim and a couple of stories to share.

Jim and I had become very well acquainted while working together in the Electromagnetic Properties of Materials group at NBS/NIST.

I actually helped him wire the house that he and Karen built in Lyons. My name, along with Jim’s, is somewhere under the sheetrock in the living room of their house

I remember when Jim bought the land. I even considered buying a piece of property close to the one they have. One of the toughest and shortest motorcycle rides I ever took was on my Harley Sportster – just up and then, very, very carefully, back down the steep driveway leading to their house in Lyons…and they weren’t even home!

Eulogy by Jim's father-in-law, Art Jarvis

(Art had prepared this eulogy to read at the funeral but decided not to because there had already been a lot of speakers. When we heard it afterwards, we knew we wanted to share it with all of you via the blog.)

I first met Jim in mid-June of 1979 when my daughter – affectionately holding the hand of a bearded young man – said, “Dad, I’d like you to meet my friend Jim Baker, we’re getting married on the 17th!”

Eulogy by Jim's colleague, Bill Riddle

Hello – my name is Bill, and I’m an engineer at NIST. I worked with Jim for almost 20 years, and I would like to share with you some memories of my good friend.

In the many years that Jim and I worked together, we collaborated on several technical projects, but we also developed a very close personal relationship.

Memories of Jim by his sister, Rosemary Nuckols

(Rose was unable to make the trip to Colorado for the funeral, due to illness in her family.)

Blue eyes that danced with a mischievous glint, and expressed compassion, gentleness, humility, love and shyness at times...the essence of Jim’s character struck me as the devastating news of his death sunk in. I am so thankful for the unique and special person God created when He made Jim. I feel privileged to have been in the middle of our large family, with Jim only 4 years older than me.

Memories of Jim by his brother, Bill Baker

(Bill was unable to travel to Colorado for the funeral, due to recent surgery.)

Jimmy was the 4th boy of our family of ten kids. We older brothers would tease him about being the baby boy, until our youngest brother Joey was born. He hated that and would return ferocious looks at us, but he was such a sweet, good-natured kid that all was forgiven.

Eulogy by Jim's brother, Joe Baker

My name is Joe, and I’d like to share with you a little bit about Jim through the eyes of a little brother.

It seems that in a lifetime a person will meet a very few—a handful—of individuals that really strike you, that have a way about them that leaves a permanent impression on you. These are those unique people that open your mind to other ways of thinking. Those rare people that you know you will never forget. My brother Jim was one of those.

Jim is about 12 years older than me, so in my earliest memories he was already busily engaged in a young man’s life, so I didn’t see him around the house too much. Often I didn’t know or understand where he was, I just knew he was out there—way out there, in every sense. Maybe he was way out on some remote river or mountain, or just way out in his thinking. I think this is what drew people to Jim—you could always expect something different from him, and he always came through in that.

Eulogy by Jim's brother, Tom Baker

J I M M Y

I have a photograph of Jim on my desk at work. It is a picture that I had taken circa 1971 and it shows Jim standing in the doorway of a boxcar, smoking a small cigar, his eyes focused distantly at the horizon where the fields of North Dakota meet the sky. Sometimes, when I look at it, it reminds me of another time and place.