Obituary of William H. Baker

SHORTSVILLE/PALMYRA William H. Baker "Bill", of High Street passed away surrounded by his loving family. Bill was a World War II veteran serving in the Pacific Theatre 1942-1945. He was a self-employed excavator. He was a member of the Citizens Hose Fire Company, Town of Palmyra Planning Board and 70 year member of the American Legion Post 34. He loved to hunt and eat his wife's home-cooked meals. He is survived by his daughters, Jan (Bob) DeRidder, Carol (Paul) Pembroke, Lin (Richard) Tarrant, Caroline (Ellery) Baker-Drake and Noralee (Rob) Bailey; 13 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and friends. Bill was predeceased by his loving wife of 55 years Verna; grandson Geoffrey Tarrant; and nephew Timothy Baker. He lived the simple life, worked hard and loved every minute of it! For Memorial Contributions: Ontario-Yates County Hospice 756 Pre-Emption Road Geneva, NY 14456 www.flns.org Or Guiding Eyes for the Blind 611 Granite Springs Road Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 www.guidingeyes.org The final song Bill and his girls sang together was the Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel). As Dad left his home, the player piano serenaded him one last time to this favorite tune. The words of this song reflect how he and mom lived their lives. Sing along in celebration of Bill's full and blessed life: There's a garden, what a garden Only happy faces bloom there And there's never any room there For a worry or a gloom there Oh there's music and there's dancing And a lot of sweet romancing When they play the polka They all get in the swing Every time they hear that oom-pa-pa Everybody feels so tra-la-la They want to throw their cares away They all go lah-de-ah-de-ay Then they hear a rumble on the floor, It's a big surprise they're waiting for And all the couples form a ring For miles around you'll hear them sing Roll out the barrel, we'll have a barrel of fun Roll out the barrel, we've got the blues on the run Zing boom tararrel, ring out a song of good cheer Now's the time to roll the barrel, for the gang's all here!