Ken Baker, age 87, passed away peacefully in North Carolina on October 31st, 2023.

He had a lifetime of successful and varied careers, as an engineer, a professional model, an actor, and a realtor. Ken was also a World Class International runner with two world records. He was filled with boundless energy, driven to be the best he could be. He saw life as a big adventure. He was never afraid to take a leap, try something new, or reinvent himself.

His was a life well lived.

He was born in London, England on September 28, 1936. His family were descendants of Lord Byron, one of the greatest British writers and poets of his time.

His childhood was quite traumatic. His earliest memories were of the sound of air raid sirens and his mother running with him in her arms, to the London underground for safety. His Father even built an air raid shelter in their back garden.

When he was four and a half he was evacuated out of the city with thousands of other children by the British government, following the German Invasion of France and the beginning of the Blitzkrieg. He was sent all alone to live with strangers in various foster homes and wasn’t reunited with his mother until he was six years old. He recalled getting word that she had arrived in a town miles away and riding his three-wheeler bike on country roads to get to her. When she opened the door she didn’t recognize him right away. They returned to London and soon two younger siblings arrived.

Ken studied telephone engineering and electronics in school before serving in the British Royal Air Force from (1956 to 1960), where he was trained in radar, and tracking enemy aircraft. His lifetime love of running started when he ran for the Air Force, once running a 4:04 mile. He ran with two lifetime best friends, who would later run with him in the New York and Boston Marathons

when they were all in their fifties. His love for British football started at a young age too, playing on teams throughout his life, and he was a huge fan of Manchester City. He rarely missed a game.

He married his wife Anne when he was nineteen and had two small children by the time he was 23. His first career was in telephone engineering.

Ken’s second career as a professional Model and Actor was as he said, “a complete fluke.” He and Anne were at a dance club when someone put a number on his back. He was surprised to find out that he had been entered into a contest. He had to answer several trivia questions. He happened to win first place in the contest and the prize was clothing supplied by a woman who owned a modeling agency in London. After the contest she called and he was off on an adventure of a lifetime.

It was the “swinging sixties” in London, where fashion, art, and culture were at their peak. He loved being a part of all of it. He was photographed by David Bailey, Brian Duffy, and Terence Donovan who were named “The Black Trinity” by the famous photographer Norman Parkinson. It was a time when photographers were as famous as the stars and socialites that they photographed. He often worked with the face of the 1960’s, Jean Shrimpton, who at the time was the highest-paid model in the world. He told great stories of those days when he was often on the same sets with rock stars, such as the Beatles.

One of his first assignments was a five-month trip around the world for British Overseas Airlines. He returned to London for two weeks and then was booked by GQ Magazine to go on a two-month trip to Africa and India for their April 1968 issue, titled “Kenya.”

The Ford Model Agency came to London to meet with him, and soon the family was embarking on a new life in America. They moved to New York City and spent weekends in a country house in Pennsylvania.

Ken made over 250 commercials throughout his life. He was the face of the Merit, Vantage, Winston, and Marlboro cigarettes campaigns, which was always amusing to him because he never smoked. He was a very health-conscious person.

Ken’s love of acting began when he studied at the Intimate Repertory Company in London before appearing on the television shows “The Saint,” The Avengers,” “Danger Man” and “Dixon of Dock Green.” In New York, he studied with Sanford Meisner in his professional class at the Neighborhood Playhouse.

His stage credits include the role of Cliff Lewis in the Off/Off-Broadway play “Look Back in Anger,” and the lead role of Rob, the Removalist, in the New Phoenix Repertory Company’s Off/Broadway play “The Removalists.” The legendary critic Clive Barnes, of the New York Times, praised his performance as “highly professional.”

Ken moved his family to Ridgewood, New Jersey when his eldest daughter was about to enter high school. His love of acting led him to open the Classic School of Modeling and Acting in 1976, with locations in Ridgewood and New York City. He hired his friends and colleagues from the acting world to come and teach. Nothing made him prouder than watching his students launch their careers.

In 1980 he starred in the Brian De Palma movie Dressed to Kill, with Michael Caine and Angie Dickinson.

He later married Hildegard Baker, had his fourth daughter Alexandra, and relocated to Upper Saddle River. Hildegard shared his love of sports. They traveled the world together and attended the Olympic games every four years. Ken then changed gears once again and became a successful realtor. He worked for Murphy Realty and later Coldwell Banker, until he retired, close to the beaches of North Carolina.

Ken was a World Class International Runner with two world indoor gold medals.

He joined the North Jersey Masters Running Club in 1978. He could easily mingle with the rich and famous but was most at home with his masters running friends.

In 1983, Ken became the World Indoor record holder for the 600-meter M (45-49) (1:17:16 minutes) and the 800-meter (2:03:02 minutes.) North Jersey Track named him the Master of The Year, and he was featured on the cover of Runners World magazine.

At 51, he competed at The World Masters Championship in Melbourne, Australia.

It was a memorable trip because he was accompanied by his father, Bill Baker, who won four gold medals and two silvers, in track and field events at the ripe old age of 84. Bill was the oldest athlete there, competing for England. Ken placed second, winning a silver in the 800 meters, edged out at the finish by a New Zealander (2:08.40 to 2:08.5 minutes.) He was also a member of the 4 x 400 relay team that set a world mark at 3:37 minutes. He contributed a 54.2-minute third leg.

He lowered that time at Brown University, the following January, clocking 2:05.8 to claim the World Indoor world standard in the (50-54 ) age group.

To his family, Ken was a force of nature. His life was never boring and they were all happy to ride on his coattails. This of course meant hanging on tightly, because he always moved so fast. He taught his daughters to be strong and confident women.

He believed that they could be anything that they put their minds to. He was an amazing teacher and left them with many positive life lessons, which they will always be grateful for.

He showed them that life wasn’t always easy and that to be a success took hard work.

Art, theatre, fashion, and home design were his passions and they became theirs too.

His family all agree that he was the funniest storyteller! He drew them all in with his descriptions, built the story with so much drama, and always had the funniest endings. He loved it when he made them all laugh hysterically.

He is survived by his wife Hildegard, his four daughters, Kim Baker, Lynn Baker, Tanya Capello, and Alexandra Baker, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. He is predeceased by his younger sister, Barbara. He also leaves behind his sister Janet, his brother Keith, and the rest of his beloved family in The United Kingdom.

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