Obituary of ELDON BAKER

It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Eldon Baker, age 80, at the Health Sciences Centre on November 3, 2024, with family by his side.

Eldon will be lovingly remembered by his family. He is survived by his wife of 53 years Linda; their sons Rob (Taryn) and Rick (Renae); and their grandchildren Breklyn, Baron, Levi, and Brooks. Eldon is also survived by his children from a previous marriage Brad, Lori, and Wendy; his grandchildren James, Brittni, and Nichole; and his extended family, including, sisters-in-law Alyne and Dianne (Walter); nieces Cherie and Kristen (Rob); grandnieces Mira and Emily; and half-siblings Boots, Linda, and Larry. Eldon was predeceased by his parents Dorothy and Bill Fitzpatrick and birth parents Margaret Green and George Aldoff.

Eldon was born in Edmonton on March 28, 1944, and later moved to Calgary where he began his welding career and first met Linda. Linda and Eldon were married on September 4, 1971, and welcomed son Robbie in 1973 and son Ricky in 1979. The family moved to Winnipeg in 1984 and, in true Eldon form, he purchased the first house he looked at, which happened to be located on the Red River in Winnipeg’s North end. After some convincing, Linda agreed they could move in and, together, Eldon and Linda made it a beautiful home and grew to love living in the North end. Eldon was a fixture on Scotia Street and was always happy to talk with neighbours and lend a hand when needed. He also took great care of his yard and hosted various weddings, anniversaries, and other special events there over the years.

Eldon was a supportive, happy, and goofy father who often reminded his sons not to take life so seriously. He bonded with his sons over sports and especially enjoyed coaching their hockey and lacrosse teams. Eldon and Linda then became proud grandparents to granddaughter Breklyn in 2004 and grandson Baron in 2006. After what Eldon describes as “a long 15 year wait”, they were blessed again with grandson Levi in 2021 and grandson Brooks in 2023. In his later years, Eldon’s grandchildren were the light of life. He was a constant presence at Breklyn’s dance recitals and Baron’s hockey games and always their biggest fan. A sore hip could never stop him getting on the ground and playing trucks with Levi and he even managed to pass on his good looks and happy personality to little Brooks. Just prior to his passing, Eldon commented that he was truly fortunate to have such an amazing, good family.

Following his move to Winnipeg, Eldon became the sole distributor of Magna International’s welding products in Canada, perfectly combining his welding skills and passion for sales. He was a true salesman and enjoyed conversing and working with his customers so much that he continued his business up until his death, with his sons completing the final orders.

Eldon was constantly working on some kind of project and always had a good story to go with it. He would proudly show you the documentary made about his award winning 20+ foot snowman or the newest gadget he was welding for his friends and family, which would surely be made to last for an eternity.

Eldon spent his final years enjoying every day with his partner in life, Linda. They embarked on countless adventures together and kept themselves busy by travelling for dragon boat festivals, exploring on their e-bikes, building a curling rink on the river, and watching every Jets and Bombers game. Eldon was the loudest cheerleader at Linda’s dragon boat races and her greatest support through all of life’s challenges. Eldon and Linda also treasured the small moments together and ended each day with a cup of tea.

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Dr. Almaleki and the wonderful staff at the Health Sciences Centre for all of their efforts and care.

You are in our hearts forever – We love ya Pops.

Tribute Album link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HsgBJzj2yZc5HV8QmGhPbPI-kDAnXPFQ/view?usp=sharing