Eva Lea Baker

BROWNSVILLE, TX. – Eva Lea Baker passed away in the comfort of her Brownsville residence on Wednesday, the 13th of September 2023 at the age of seventy-nine following a nine and a half months battle with cancer. Eva Lea was born on November 8, 1943, daughter of Dan and Rena Killion, who preceded her in death. She had one sister, Nora Faye Hockaday, who also preceded her in death.

Eva Lea graduated from Brownsville High School in 1962 and went to work for Southwestern Bell Telephone as a switchboard operator. The following year, on August 31, 1963, she married her husband of forty-three years, Robert Baker. She worked at the phone company until her daughter Lisa was born in 1966. At that point she became a stay-at-home mom and son Robby was born in 1969. Once both kids were in elementary school, Eva Lea went back to work as an accounts receivable clerk for Four Winds Marine Service at the Brownsville Shrimp Basin. It was the same company Robert worked for and they worked together in the same office for the next fourteen years. In 1991, she went to work for the Brownsville Independent School District as a librarian aide at Rivera High School. She remained there fifteen years until she took early retirement in January 2006 to care for Robert during his own battle with cancer.

Eva Lea was an active member and volunteer for any activities involving her family and friends.  She served on the El Jardin Elementary PTA, including a term as president, worked on school carnivals and floats, worked the concession stand at numerous swim meets, and attended countless basketball games and choir recitals. She had an artistic knack for decorating cakes, sewing, painting ceramics and scrapbooking. Eva Lea was often asked to make the cake at any celebration she attended. She loved to cook and bake, particularly around the holidays, and she helped plan numerous Baker family reunions, documenting each one with its own scrapbook. Eva Lea was a member of Central Christian Church for over fifty years and enjoyed the close friendships formed while working on the fellowship committee during her retirement years. Following Robert’s death in 2006, she devoted her time to her greatest love of all, her granddaughter Rena Lynn, always cherishing the chance to help with a school function or field trip. 

Eva Lea is survived by one daughter, Lisa Ruediger (Robert) of Rancho Viejo, Texas; one son, Robby Baker of Brownsville, Texas; one granddaughter, Rena Ruediger, the absolute joy of her life the past seventeen years; three nieces who all grew up together more like sisters, Sandra Merrill and Linda Hemphill, both of Brownsville, Texas, and Shirley Butler of Raymondville, Texas; one great-nephew, Matt Merrill of Corpus Christi, Texas; and two great-great nieces, Emma and Matilda Merrill. She is also survived by in-laws, Sylvia Baker of Brownsville, Texas and George and Sue Baker of Arlington, Texas, as well as numerous Baker family nephews and nieces. 

The family extends its most sincere appreciation to those at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital in Pearland, Texas, Mesquite Home Health LLC in Brownsville, Texas, and Amedisys Hospice Care in Harlingen, Texas for all the care and concern given to Eva Lea during her illness. 

A Memorial Service will be held at eleven o’clock in the morning on Saturday, the 30th of September 2023 at Central Christian Church, 1100 E. Alton Gloor Boulevard, Brownsville, with Minister Lance Hostetter officiating.

In lieu of floral arrangements and customary remembrances, the family requests memorial donations in her memory be made to Central Christian Church, www.cccbrownsville.org or to MD Anderson Cancer Center, gifts.mdanderson.org. 

Memories of Eva Lea may be shared at www.darlingmouser.com.

Personalized funeral arrangements directed by Steven R. Hieu Bailey and Staff have been entrusted to the care of Darling-Mouser Funeral Home at 945 Palm Boulevard in Brownsville, Texas 78520, (956) 546-7111.