Jane Marie Schussler Baker's Obituary
JANE MARIE SCHUSSLER BAKER
Our dearly beloved Jane Marie Schussler Baker passed away on Saturday, November 18, 2023, in Miami, Florida at the age of 72, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She is survived by her devoted husband, Thomas E. Baker, and her son, Thomas A. Baker, and her brother, Russell Schussler, and her sister, Sue Natole. She was preceded in death by her loving parents, H.E. “Mickey” Schussler and Elinor Lee Schussler, and by her dear sister Peggy Wade. She liked to refer to herself as “the fun eccentric Aunt” to her nieces and nephews.
“Janie” was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 1, 1951, and there was a rare snowfall there that day. Her father was a highly decorated career Air Force officer, so the family moved around the country. She attended some thirteen schools by the time she graduated from high school and that formative experience shaped her outgoing and engaging personality. Always her teachers’ favorite, she made friends everywhere she went. After graduating from Florida State University, she taught elementary school and later worked as a parenting consultant helping families improve the lives of their differently abled children. God blessed her with a special chrism with children. A life-long and devout Catholic, over the years she was active in various ministries in her parishes in Lubbock, Texas, Des Moines, Iowa, and Miami, Florida. At St. Elizabeth’s parish in Lubbock, she was a Catholic Christian Education teacher preparing children to receive the sacraments. She was a member of the Women’s Emmaus at St. Augustine Parish and the Serra Club for Vocations in Miami and P.E.O. chapters in Des Moines and Miami, a philanthropic educational organization that supports scholarships for young women. She served on the board of Gilded Lilies Auxiliary of Easterseals South Florida providing services to children and adults living with Autism, Alzheimer’s, and other disabilities. She was a member of Damas de Doral, a dedicated group who prepared meals for critically ill children and their families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Miami, whose volunteer work was recognized with a proclamation by the Doral City Council in 2015. In 2000, she received the key to the city from the mayor of Des Moines for her work planning that city’s millennium celebration. In 1993, she was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year for her outstanding service to the children of Texas by the Texas Council of Child Welfare Boards. She was a formative participant and long-time staff member at the Parenting Cottage in Lubbock, Texas, founded in 1982 to provide resources to families with special needs. She loved art, especially the impressionists who she studied in an F.S.U. summer abroad program touring the art museums of Europe. She also loved music of all kinds. When a song came on the radio she could tell you the title and the year and the artist, and she knew the lyrics — so long car trips with her were sing alongs. Her dinner parties and holiday celebrations were legendary. Most of all, she loved her family, and we all loved her more than we can say.
While her own memories were taken from her, take a moment to reflect on what she meant to you and keep some happy memory of her in your heart. The immediate family will gather for an interment with the Catholic Rite of Commitment at Blessed Sacrament Church in Tallahassee, Florida (where she and her husband of 49+ years first met while attending F.S.U.). A Memorial Mass will be scheduled later at her Miami parish to celebrate her life and our love and affection for her. For family and friends, we suggest that you give flowers to someone special in your life — Janie always smiled to get flowers.
What’s your fondest memory of Jane?
What’s a lesson you learned from Jane?
Share a story where Jane's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Jane you’ll never forget.
How did Jane make you smile?