By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

AKRON — Dean Baker was “a forester at heart.”

His son-in-law Rich Solano described the former Pike Lumber Co. president as such.

Baker passed away at age 86 on Sept. 12. He had a 35-year career with the Akron-based lumber company, culminating in a four-year stint as president.

Dean Baker

Pike’s Co-owner Channing Utter started working at the company the same year as Baker. Both were serving as senior directors on Pike’s Board of Directors when Baker passed away.

“I had the privilege of working side-by-side with him for 59 years in business, in church activities and in community service,” said Utter. “He was very strong in all of these things.”

Regarding business, Utter noted Baker “created the Pike Lumber Co. forestland program … (powering) it up to what it is today.”

Current Pike President Craig Brouyette said Baker “had a passion for timber resource and forest management which has impacted how our company manages forestland to this day — whether it’s management for private landowners or our company-owned forests.”

Utter also added Baker was a “modern day Johnny Appleseed,” as he worked to plant new trees.

“It was kind of like a hobby to him,” said Utter. “As we would acquire forestland, he would find bare patches of ground and plant them with trees.”

Utter called Baker “a hands-on leader.”

“He didn’t just say, ‘You guys go over there and do that.’ He would said, ‘Come on, let’s go do that,'” said Utter.

Jim Steen, who would follow in Baker’s footsteps as Pike’s president, stated he valued tapping into Baker’s knowledge during the more than 40 years that he knew him.

“I would trust him with anything,” he said.

Brouyette noted he misses “Dean’s wisdom and advice.”

Utter also referenced Baker’s giving nature, stating Baker and his wife Suzanne have always been “extraordinarily generous.”

“They’d give to almost any cause,” he said.

Utter said the Bakers help put a number of people through college, adding he didn’t know the exact number “because (the Bakers) will never speak of their philanthropy.”

He said Baker was “an extraordinary man in almost all (aspects) of life.”

“I’m used to measuring success by family, faith and friends, and he was successful in all three areas,” said Utter.