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!”

I soon learned that my new son-in law was a graduate student working toward a Masters in Physics at the University of Minnesota. Jim was quiet and unassuming with a droll, mischievous sense of humor. He was as adept at rebuilding an engine or repairing a carburetor as he was at solving differential equations.

Jim received his Masters in 1980 and went on to receive a Ph.D. in theoretical physics at the University of Wyoming in 1984 where he also began his career as a college professor. His passion for research drove him to accept a position in 1989 at the National Bureau of Standards (now NIST) in Boulder, Colorado.

Then my grandchildren Duff and then Aquene were born, and Jim became a loving father who nurtured and protected his family. He also gave them lots of adventurous trips and exciting activities that they will long remember.

He pursued his hobbies - whitewater canoeing, bicycling, and voyages into the Canadian wilderness - with the same passion and vigor that he pursued his research at NIST.

Jim is gone! We all know the unbelievable circumstances.

But why?

Each of us, according to our own beliefs, must deal with the answer to that question. My own answer is that somewhere in the great scheme of the cosmos - perhaps in another dimension or even in another universe - there is a pressing problem that needs Jim's expertise in quantum mechanics and electrodynamics for a solution. And Jim's mind is working toward that solution even as we gather here and mourn his passing.

However, in his free time he will be singing a blues tune as he paddles the Class V rapids of the perfect river.

We will all miss Jim:

His brothers and sisters will miss him and remember his childhood pranks.

His many canoeing friends will miss his lessons and whitewater trips.

His many colleagues, both here and abroad, will miss his guidance, inspiration, and technical expertise.

Most of all, our family will miss him, for he loved us and we loved him.

And we will grieve for him. For grief is the price we pay for love.