Joshua Lawrence Baker was born November 10, 1977, in Salem, Oregon, and died at the age of 46 on February 21, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. He was the first of three sons born to Samuel L Baker and Frances Easterly. Josh lived most of his childhood in Dallas, Oregon, where he attended Whitworth Elementary, LaCreole Middle School, and graduated from Dallas High School in 1996. After working for a time, Josh began college at Chemeketa Community College, and graduated from Western Oregon University with a degree in Criminal Justice.

Josh loved playing sports. When he was about 7, he started playing baseball, and later was into basketball and football. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing with his dad and grandfather, Clarence Easterly. He introduced the enjoyment of fishing to his children, Kade and Nayeli.

Joshua learned to work hard while working for his grandfather's construction company during school breaks. He worked at the Marion County Juvenile Department. At the age of 31, Joshua signed up with the US Army. He was first stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. Josh served two tours in Iraq and one tour in Afghanistan, as well as other short term deployments. During his time in the Army, Josh, Delainie, and the kids lived in Germany and got to see a lot of Europe. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas before being stationed at Fort Sam Houston. At the time of his death, Josh was a Staff Sergent at Fort Sam Houston, at San Antonio, Texas.

Joshua and his wife Delainie, were married April 9, 2011, in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Together they had two children, Nayeli Elizabeth Lynn Baker and Joshua Kade Samuel Baker.

Joshua Lawrence Baker is survived by his wife, Delainie Baker, children Nayeli and Kade, of Allenhurst, Georgia, and his step-son, Lorenzo Cortez. Father, Samuel Baker and step-mother RoxAnne Baker of Wallowa, Oregon ; Mother, Frances Thompson and step-father Neal Thompson of Phoenix, Arizona; grandmother, Patricia Easterly of Dallas, Oregon; brothers Benjamin of Anchorage, Alaska, and James of Wasilla, Alaska; sister Sammie and Abigail of Wallowa, Oregon; adopted sisters NySharie Thompson of Salem, Oregon, AuReyon Thompson and Addie Thompson-Sells of Phoenix, adopted brother, JaBree Thompson (Phoenix); step-sisters Richelle Gomes and Bethany Meyers (Wallowa), Rebecca Robinson (South Dakota), Sheryl Thomas (Atlanta, Georgia), Angela Delk and Jacqueline Thompson (Phoenix), LaTasha Thompson (Portland, Oregon); step-brothers Timothy Robinson (Wasilla, Alaska) and Neal Thompson, Jr (Phoenix). And numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.