Cynthia Jean Baker passed away at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, on January 30, 2023, after a long and valiant fight with Multiple Myeloma.

Cynthia was born in Griffin, GA on October 28, 1948, the youngest of four daughters of Elizabeth Yarbrough Baker and Henry McGowan Baker, both of whom predeceased her. Her sister Beverly Baker Tuten of Roanoke, VA also predeceased her.

Cynthia grew up in Griffin where she attended Third Ward Elementary, Spalding Junior High, and graduated from Griffin High School in 1966. She attended the University of Georgia, Georgia State College, and University of Hawaii at Hilo. She also studied Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine at Bastyr University in Seattle. Her professional life included an early year as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines, based out of Miami, followed by a successful career with Northern Telecom and BellSouth in Atlanta as a systems engineer and sales representative, until her early retirement.

In her young 20’s, Cynthia took a road trip across the country, and fell in love with the Pacific Northwest. She decided to move to Seattle, where her daughter, Lucinda, was later born. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Port Townsend, and then to the Big Island of Hawaii. When Lucinda was nearing school age, they moved to Atlanta to be near family. Soon after Lucinda completed high school, they returned to Seattle where they both primarily lived until Cynthia’s passing.

Cynthia loved going to theatre, movies, music and dance performances, loved art, good writing, being in nature, looking at beautiful gardens, mountains, and the ocean, getting to travel, eat good food, and gather with friends and family. Cynthia got to enjoy many road trips across the country over the years, as well as traveling through Canada, many European countries, and Japan.

Cynthia was very loving, a deep thinker, and a courageous free spirit with a great sense of humor. She was a devoted mother and grandmother, and a wonderful daughter, sister, and friend. She will be dearly missed!

Survivors include: daughter Lucinda Jane Baker McGowan (Justin) of Seattle, WA; granddaughter Fiona Jane McGowan; sisters Nancy Baker Clark (Charles) of Atlanta, GA, and Reba Baker Keller (George) of Wilmington, NC; niece Elizabeth Tuten Tobin (Sean) of Helena, MT; nephews Bruce Tuten, Jr. (Rhett) of Avondale Estates, GA; Terrell Tuten (Cheryl) of Suwanee, GA; Charles Clark, Jr. of Decatur, GA; Johnson Clark (Wendy) of Shoreline, WA; Scott Rowe (Allison) of Sandy Springs, GA; Brian Rowe (Chanda, predeceased Cynthia) of Lilburn, GA; grandnieces Juniper Clark, Elizabeth (Ellie) Tuten, and Maya Rowe; grandnephews Thomas Tuten, William Tuten, and Jacob Tuten; in-laws Laura Keller and Shane Burris of Seattle, WA; a very large extended family, and many close friends, including life-long friend Jane Whiddon, of Bridgeport, WA.

There will be a memorial celebration of Cynthia’s life on Saturday, April 15 at the Houston Mill House on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta from 2:00-5:00 P.M. The family would appreciate an RSVP by April 7th, from anyone planning to attend.

Those wishing to make donations in Cynthia’s memory may do so by sending them to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (lls.org) your local theatre or arts organization, PBS, or a charity of your choice. 

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/cynthia-baker/obituary/

Copy