AAC Institute - Jesse Baker

Jessie Peddicord Baker was born in the Hamden section of Baltimore, but later lived in Perryville, MD, Logansport, IN, Chicago, IL, and Valparaiso, IN prior to moving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1966. She was the wife of the late H. Roland Baker, an Officer of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and later of the Penn Central Railroad. Mrs. Baker worked as a physician's assistant from 1930 until 1943, when she retired to become a homemaker and mother of their son, Bruce R. Baker, currently, President and CEO of Semantic Compaction Systems (a software company) and Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh.

She was a member and officer of the Eastern Star and The League of Women Voters. She was an active volunteer in many organizations including The American National Red Cross (Gray Lady, Memorial Hospital, Logansport, IN) and the Baltimore Civil Defense Board. In 1982, she co-founded Minspeak® Corporation, a software company dedicated to improving the lives of people who do not have the ability to speak naturally. Active during her later years, from 1985 until 2000, she traveled extensively across the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. She served on the Official Boards of the Hamden United Methodist Church, Perryville United Methodist Church, and Broadway United Methodist Church, Logansport, Indiana. At time of her death, she was a member of Christ United Methodist Church in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Baker died peacefully in her 93rd year surrounded by friends and family at her home and is survived by her son, Bruce, and by many nieces and nephews.