Ronald Eugene Baker

Ronald Eugene Baker was born January 31, 1950, in Vermillion, South Dakota, and passed away Monday, September 19, 2022.

Ron and his parents relocated to Omaha when he was a child. He attended Westside High School, and later the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he majored in architecture. He spent most of his subsequent career working at HDR in Omaha, where he started notably in interiors and became a leader in the company’s CAD initiatives in the late 1980s and ’90s. He served as president of the Nebraska chapter of the American Institute of Architects in the early 2000s; he retired from HDR as a vice president in 2012.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made in Ron’s honor to the UNL College of Architecture’s International Travel Fund. Ron studied architecture in London during his time at UNL, which allowed him and his wife, Karla, whom he married in 1971, to explore places they otherwise might not have. Gifts can be made to the College of Architecture’s International Travel Fund, No. 01128450, at the University of Nebraska Foundation, P.O. Box 82555, Lincoln, NE, 68501. Please make checks payable to the University of Nebraska Foundation, and include Ron’s name and the fund name or number on the memo line or enclosed note. Online gifts can be made at nufoundation.org.

Ron is survived by his children, Sarah Baker Hansen (Matthew) and Lindsey Baker. He was preceded in death by his father, Eugene Baker; mother, Delores; and wife, Karla.

Plans for a joint celebration of life for Ron and Karla are forthcoming.