Obituaries
May 26, 2024
Retired Chief Terry Baker
Tyrone W. “Terry” Baker of Dallas, Texas was born July 25, 1938, in Underwood, North Dakota. He was one of eight children born to Henry George “Hank” Baker and Alice Lorna (Tower) Baker. He passed away May 26, 2024 in Dallas, Texas at the age of 85. He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Alice Baker, sisters Sylvia Simonson and Doris Krebsbach, and brother Darrow Baker. He is survived by his wife Joyce Baker of Dallas, Texas; son Barry Baker (Marinel) of Central Point, Oregon; daughter Cheryl Gorena (Denny) of Carrollton, Texas; grandson Everett Baker (Alissa) of Beaverton, Oregon; grandson Ethan Baker (Mariana) of Richland, Washington; grandsons Elijah and Giovanni Gorena of Carrollton, Texas; great-grandson Wayde Baker of Richland, Washington; brother Robert Baker of Midland, Michigan; sister Faye Stein of Garrison, North Dakota; sister Betty Dunagan (Bill) of Avondale, Arizona; and brother Roger Baker (Bettelu) of Rochester, Minnesota and Mesa, Arizona; and by numerous friends, nieces and nephews.
Terry grew up in Garrison, North Dakota where he attended Garrison schools for eleven years. In 1955, the Baker family moved to their ranch in the Prophet Mountains in northwest Sheridan County, North Dakota. He graduated from McClusky High School in 1956.
His first job was at ages 12 and 13 working at the Garrison Creamery. At ages 14, 15, and 16 he worked at the Red Owl Grocery Store in Garrison, North Dakota. He saved his money and bought his horse, Paint, which he enjoyed riding throughout his teenage years. In the summer of 1955, at the age of 17, Terry worked on a concrete crew building the power house for the newly constructed Garrison Dam built across the Missouri River.
He served in the United States Army from 1957-1960. He completed basic training at Fort Carson, Colorado, and Military Police School at Fort Gordon, Georgia. He was stationed with the U.S. Army Military Police at Killeen Base, Texas from December 17, 1957 to July 22, 1960. He attained the rank of Corporal at Killeen Base, and then was promoted to Sergeant in 1961 while serving in the U.S. Army Reserves. He received the Good Conduct Medal, the Cold War Recognition Certificate, several shooting awards, and an Honorable Discharge.
Terry married the former Joyce Ann Greear in Lampasas, Texas on November 11, 1961. After they married, they moved to Dallas where he was employed by the Gulf Oil Corporation and Foster Tire and Supply Company from 1961-1968. They had two children, Barry, born May 5. 1963 and Cheryl, born April 1, 1966.
In 1965, Terry joined the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department as a reserve deputy sheriff. In 1968, he went to work full-time for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department. He worked for 5 different Dallas County sheriffs during his law enforcement career, including: Bill Decker, Clarence Jones, Carl Thomas, Don Byrd and Jim Bowles. He rose through the ranks to the position of Assistant Chief Deputy. In 1987-1988 he was president of the Law Enforcement Officers Association of Texas. Before he retired, he was chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee that planned for security at the 1994 World Cup Soccer Games that were held in Dallas, Texas.
After 3 years in the reserves and 26 years of full-time service with the department, Terry retired with the rank of Assistant Chief Deputy, on December 31, 1994 at the age of 56. Following his retirement, and for another 10 years, he remained with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department as a mounted reserve deputy in the Dallas County Sheriff’s Posse. He owned a register quarter horse by the name of Doc Baldy Bingo, which he rode during his years with the Sheriff’s Posse. He and Doc participated in many events and parades together. During his career, Terry spent a total of 42 years in law enforcement, including the 3 years he served in the military police. Terry earned many awards during his career in law enforcement, including the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department “Deputy of the Year” in 2000. He was also awarded the Master Peace Officer’s Certificate based on education and years of experience.
During the 1970s, Terry was an active leader in Boy Scout Troop 744. The troop was sponsored by Charles A. Gill Elementary School in Dallas, Texas. During this time, he and 2 other scout leaders took a group of 16 boy scouts on a High Adventure trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico for a 12-day hike through the Rocky Mountains area of the ranch.
While still with the Sheriff’s Department, Terry also worked many part-time security jobs. For ten years, from 1978-1987, he worked security at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas where the Dallas Cowboys played. He also started a belt buckle business and designed western-style belt buckles for law enforcement departments and special events. He designed two buckles for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department and one for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Posse. He worked with a foundry and their artist in Denison, Texas to produce the buckles for him. He also designed a buckle for the Texas Sesquicentennial in 1986. These buckles were sold in Sam’s Club Stores across Texas. He also designed special buckles for other law enforcement departments and organizations.
In 1978, he graduated Cum Laude with an Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Abilene Christian University. IN 1984, he graduated from the F.B.I. National Academy, a program for law enforcement officers from all the world, at Quantico, Virginia. Through this program, he earned 16 credit hours from the University of Virginia.
After Terry retired, he continued to use his law enforcement training by being part of the volunteer security team for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a security supervisor at Fulton Stadium where the Olympic baseball games were played.
Also after his retirement from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, Terry became involved in research to gather information about Texas peace officers who had been killed in the line of duty, but had been forgotten to history. He and his wife Joyce, traveled all over the state of Texas to document the required information to get 246 officers’ names on the memorial walls in Austin, Texas and Washington, D.C. He received awards from various law enforcement agencies for his untiring works to honor slain officers.
On March 10, 2010 he was one of the recipients of the 2009 F.B.I. Director’s Community Leadership Awards from F.B.I. Director Robert S. Mueller III, in a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The award was presented to individuals who had done outstanding volunteer work regarding law enforcement. Terry received the award for the work he did to get officers’ names on the memorial walls.
Terry was a published author. His article, “Finding the Forgotten, Texas Peace Officers Killed in the Line of Duty” was published in 2002 in the magazine, F.B.I. National Academy Associates. He also authored the historical book, “Hangings and Lynchings in Dallas County, Texas, 1853-1920”, which was published in 2016.
Terry was a member of the Dallas County Sheriff Bill Decker Deputy Association, the F.B.I. National Academy Associates, the Sheriff’s Association of Texas and the Retired Dallas County Employees’ Association. In the 1980s, he was a member of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department Rodeo Team, which participated in police rodeos across the state of Texas.
Terry previously had been a long-time member of Lochwood Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. At the time of his death, he was a member of Calvary Hill Baptist Church in Mesquite, Texas. After joining Calvary Hill in September of 2005, he became active in helping to support mission work for the children in Mexico.
Burial will be held at the historic Smith Cemetery, on the Moten Ranch, west of Oakalla, Texas off Highway FM 963 in Burnet County on Monday, June 3, 2024 at 1 pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Calvary Hill Baptist Church Missions Fund.
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Photo Gallery
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Condolences
Timothy P. Parker May 27, 2024
Friend Lancaster , Texas
Unique. Honest. Fair. Dependable. Truthful. These are words which could easily be ascribed to Terry Baker. However, he was much more than that. Terry was a loving and committed husband, a dedicated father, and the kind of friend you wanted by your side in a fight. I have learned that we, peace officers, are very often a different persons at home than we were at work. The very nature of our profession demanded that. We can get a glimpse of the “other” Terry Baker when we see how he painfully researched the tragic deaths of dozens of fallen peace officers, ensuring that their lives were properly recognized by their communities. Thus, bringing honor to them and their families. This was who he was. A man dedicated to doing what was right, to honoring the truth, no matter the cost. Not to bring personal recognition to himself, but to others. To do his duty. No doubt, late this past Sunday evening Terry heard “…Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” May the Lord of heaven and earth wrap His comforting arms around the Baker family.
Sammy Adair May 27, 2024
Executive Secretary Allen , Texas
My greatest condolences to one of the greatest Chiefs I worked for ! He will be always be in my memories especially for the work we did together …. God bless you Joyce and the rest of the family, you will certainly be in my prayers. Ms Sammy
Bart Terrell May 27, 2024
Co worker Prosper , Texas
Terry Baker had a long career as a no nonsense Law Enforcement Officer. That displayed integrity on a daily basis. I enjoyed talks with him. He was a mentor to me at times when I became commander of Internal Affairs. Just as he had been many years before. May he rest in peace.
Steven Jones May 27, 2024
Coworker Canton , Texas
One of the finest men I’ve known and had the pleasure to work for! Fairness, integrity and honesty to a fault!!! Gods speed sir!
Glenda Bull-Polk May 27, 2024
Chief Baker’s Secretary at DSO Midlothian , Texas
I will always have fond memories of working for Chief Baker. He was a great man of faith and integrity. Condolences to Joyce & the family.
Dave and Barbara Ribitaille May 29, 2024
A dear close friend from FBI Academy Warwick , Rhode Island
To Joyce and family our heartfelt sympathy to the extended Baker family on the loss of great man and true Texan. Rest in peace Trusty. See you and Phil at the next roll call. Rhode Island Red 🐓🐓🐓 Dave and Barbara Robitaille 67 Sunny Coce Drive Warwick Rhode Islabd
Roger E Baker May 31, 2024
Brother ROCHESTER , Minnesota
Terry and I were brothers and grew up together in Garrison, ND. We did many things together as we grew up, including swimming, going to movies, skiing, and sharing a bedroom. I was 4 years younger than Terry and followed him in many activities. Terry worked at the Ulrich creamery in Garrison, and when I was old enough he got me a job there too. Later, when Terry was working at the Red Owl grocery store there, he got me a job there also. After moving to the ranch near McClusky, ND, we did even more things together, as there was a lot work to do on the ranch with our father, Henry Baker. One of the first jobs was the building and repairing miles of fences to keep hundreds of beef cattle in their pastures. Our dad had a lot of experience on that, and passed that on to Terry and I. A lot of the work was done by hand including digging post holes, and we also used a horse drawn wagon on the very hilly terrain. We milked cows (by hand), put dad’s brand on the cattle, cut and stacked hay, and planted and harvested wheat crops. One fall our dad borrowed a threshing machine and we had a good old threshing bee at our ranch. One of the jobs Terry and I enjoyed most was riding our horses out to the pastures with our dad to check on the cattle, and make sure none had gotten out of the fences, and that they had enough water to drink. Other times that we enjoyed riding our horses was in the fall when deer hunting season started. We had ridden through the pastures enough that we had a pretty good idea where we might find the deer. Terry had an advantage over me in that he had his horse trained so well that he could fire his rifle at a deer while sitting in the saddle. I never tried that. The photo I’ve attached shows Terry and I after a successful deer hunt in November, 1959. In 1977 our dad built a log cabin that replicated the one he grew up in outside of Garrison, ND. After our mother’s death in 1990 the cabin was moved into the Heritage Park in Garrison. At our first Baker family reunion after the move Terry had a great idea to have a metal plaque made to put on the outside of the cabin, telling it’s story for visitors to the park. Terry designed the plaque, had it made, and installed it at the family reunion in 1992. That’s just one example of the great idea’s Terry had, and his determination to get the job done. I’ve attached photos taken at that family reunion that show Terry and his siblings. Another example of Terry’s ideas and determination to get things done was to nominate our dad, Henry Baker, to the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame in Medora, ND. With Terry’s persistence dad was accepted in 2013. The Baker family reunion was held in Medora for the ceremony in June of that summer, and I’ve attached a photo from that gathering. Terry was a great guy and a great brother and will definitely be missed by many, but will be long remembered for his accomplishments and effect on the people around him.
Jack and Jerri Fleming May 31, 2024
FRIEND through Dallas County Sheriff office and Dallas County Posse Grand. Saline , Texas
It was always a pleasure to be involved in anything that Terry was a part of. He was one of the nicest people we have ever known or worked with. He was very intelligent, organized, and a real gentleman. He and Joyce have always been very good friends of ours and our deepest condolences are sent to Joyce and the rest of the family. We will miss him.
Lisa Knight May 27, 2024
Friend Mesquite , Texas
Terry was one of a kind,we loved listening to his stories of his career,and the adventures the 4 of us use to take,he especially ,loved his Sam's outings with Leonard,He will be truly missed,We love you Terry,Leonard and Lisa
Don Cole May 28, 2024
Brother in Blue Midlothian , Texas
R.I.P. Brother, prayers for your family and friends.
Sheri Young May 31, 2024
Friend Quartzsite , Arizona
Our family lived across the street in Dallas.Step father Pat Beck a police officer as well..I have great memories the BBQ cook outs playing outside till dark,building forts ,Alot of family time.Terry was a huge roll modle for the boys.My brother was one of them.Terry took him under his wing .I think he had all the boys under his wing..They all have a huge peace of puzzle of my lifed journy.I thankyou for making a defferace in my life.I see you again.I bring my fishing pole.
Bonnie C Yates August 29, 2024
Coworker of son Talent , Oregon
Although I never met Sheriff Baker, I knew his son Barry throughout his college career at Texas A & M and as his coworker with USFWS law enforcement. Fine gentlemen and dedication to law enforcement run in this family.