William Bert Baker passed away Friday, January 6, 2017, at
his home in Gilbert, Arkansas. He was born July 19, 1932, in
Gilbert to the late Riley Noel Baker and Lucille Moore Baker. He
was 84 years old.

Bill grew up in Gilbert, where he met the love of his life and
future wife, Bonnie King. His was the kind of remarkable
childhood only possible in such a small town with great friends,
caring neighbors, and a supportive family that consistently
exhibited unconditional love. A place where there was someone
around to lend an ear or a hand. Bill found new adventures every
day along the Buffalo River and the River served as a place of
reflection to gain perspective on his life and his core values of love
and acceptance. These values continued to draw Bill back to
Gilbert over the years and ultimately was the natural choice for
retirement for Bill and Bonnie.

Bill attended school primarily in Marshall. He and his
brother, Noel Jr. spent their free time playing basketball and were
teammates on a Marshall Bobcat team that advanced state
basketball tournament under the coaching of Cecil Medley. With
his typical self-deprecating wit, he often said Arkansas Tech
recruited him to play basketball in 1949 because he was
outstanding in his field. "That's where they found me," he would
say, "out standing in my field."

A four-year starter for legendary Tech coach Sam Hindsman,
Baker and his Wonder Boy teammates posted a record of 98-14,
won the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) all four years,
and played in four NAIA national tournaments. Named All-AIC
three times in basketball, Bill graduated from Tech in 1953, and he
and Bonnie were married that summer on July 13.

After Bill earned a master's degree from the University of
Arkansas in 1954, he served in the United States Army during the
Korean War. Stationed at the Pentagon, he was impacted
significantly as a result of his daily walk to work past the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier.

Bill was honorably discharged from the Army in 1957 and
returned to his alma mater, Arkansas Tech as a faculty member and
administrator. He earned a doctorate in education from the
University of Arkansas in 1962. During his 17 years working at
Tech, at various times he served as a teacher, coach, athletic
director, and vice president of student affairs before accepting the
challenge to start a new college in Harrison.

The founding president of what is now North Arkansas
College in Harrison, Bill led Northark from 1974 until his
retirement in 2001. He was the longest tenured president or
chancellor of any public college or university in the state when he
retired.

As a result of Bill's vision and leadership, Northark's offcampus
programs directly led to the creation of two new colleges:
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home and NorthWest
Arkansas Community College in Bentonville.

A strong believer in the community college model of
bringing education to students where they live, Bill and his faculty
and staff also offered credit classes in partnership with three
vocational technical schools. Those efforts provided the spark that
helped ignite a statewide conversion of vo-tech schools into
technical colleges.

In 1993 Bill led the merger of North Arkansas Community
College and Twin Lakes Technical College, the first union of its
kind in Arkansas history. He also was instrumental in creating
Arkansas Community Colleges (originally, the Arkansas
Association of Two-Year Colleges) and was a leader of the state's
two-year college presidents and chancellors throughout his career.

Throughout his distinguished tenure at Northark, he
welcomed with the same open arms the Vice-President of the
United States and students who were the first in their families to
attend college. He created a family atmosphere that nearly
replicated the one he grew up with in Gilbert.

Bill had a remarkable ability to encourage others and let them
know they were loved and special. He was beloved by employees
and students alike, and his success as an advocate for his college
with legislators at the Arkansas General Assembly was legendary.

Among his many awards and achievements, the Bill Baker
Amphitheatre on the South Campus of North Arkansas College
was named in his honor in 2001. Bill was inducted into the
Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction, received Marshall High
School's Distinguished Alumni Award, and just last year was
named a John Paul Hammerschmidt Man of Distinction. He taught
Sunday school at the First United Methodist Church of Harrison
for 27 years and served as a lay speaker at numerous rural churches
during his time in Russellville and Harrison.

A member of the Harrison Lion's Club, he served on the
boards of the Area Agency on Aging and Security Bank. He was a
33rd degree mason and received the Silver Beaver Award from the
Boy Scouts of America.

Bill is survived by his wife of 63 years, Bonnie King Baker;
two sons, Billy, his wife Donita, and Iaucef; one daughter, Julia
Baker Howry, her husband Randy; four grandchildren, Emily Jane
Baker, William Bert Baker III, his wife Kellie, Baker Nicole
Howry, and Daniel Beran Howry; and two great grandchildren,
Bryce and Beckett. He was preceded in death by his parents and
his brothers, Noel Baker, Jr., and Jack Eldon Baker.

Many thanks to the innumerable nieces, nephews, cousins,
friends and other family members who gave their hearts and souls
in support of Bill and his family. Special appreciation for the longterm loving care provided by Sherry Kessler, and more recently
Lesa Tuazon and the wonderful staff at Hospice of the Hills.

A funeral service will be held at the L.E. "Gene" Durand
Center on the Center Campus of North Arkansas College on
Thursday, Jan. 12, at 11 a.m. Following the service, there will be
visitation with the family and a light lunch reception. Procession
to Osborne Cemetery in St. Joe will begin at 3:30pm where
Reverend Ben Charles Killion will lay him to rest.

The family requests any memorial donations be sent to the
North Arkansas College Foundation, 1515 Pioneer Drive, Harrison,
Arkansas 72601.

Arrangements are under the direction of Coffman Funeral
Home of Harrison. The family would like to encourage you to
express condolences and tributes online at www.coffmanfh.com.

Pallbearers will be William Baker III, Emily Baker, Daniel
Howry, Baker Howry, Randy Howry, Zack Roth, Will Roth, Danny
Roth, Bill Magness, Matt Magness, Cody Lay, Tom Moore
Ramsey and Ronnie Ramsey.

Honorary pallbearers include Don Allen, Rodney Arnold,
Jesse Baker, Jerry Burns, Joe Dillard, Matt Dow, John Easley, Glen
Fenter, Fred Garry, Donovan Horn, James Ralph Hudspeth, Bob
King, Curt King, Dr. Tom Langston, Marvin Looney, Mitch
Mortevedt, Joe Nance, James Ragland, Bob Ratchford, Bill Seeger,
Dick Spriggs, Jim Stockton, Don Sugg, Wayne Thompson, Billy
Ross Wheeler, Danny Wheeler, Scott Williams and Bob Wynn.

For all of his accomplishments as an educator and a leader, it
was Bill Baker's love for his family, his passion for serving others,
his sense of humor, and his amazing positive attitude that made
him special. Two of his favorite sayings were: "Even when it
doesn't work out, it works out!" and "Always have something to
look forward to!"

He once explained his philosophy of life in this way: "I try to
approach everyone with love." Certainly, the thousands of
students and others whose lives he touched would agree.