At 54, well-loved PSU professor dies

Timothy Baker, a well-loved faculty member in Portland, died on July 5 from a failed liver.

Baker, who was 54, spent the most recent years before his death as a professor of public administration at Portland State and a professor in the health sciences program at the Linfield College Portland Campus.

Baker played a key role in implementing the Health Sciences program at Linfield, according to Nancy Broshot, a colleague at the college. Baker took the helm of the brand new program in 1994 as chairman and guided it until 2003, when Broshot replaced him.

He had been teaching full time at Linfield and teaching as an adjunct professor at PSU until he took medical leave from Linfield last fall, Broshot said.

His death especially impacted Theresa Julnes Kaimanu, Baker’s first professor at PSU. Baker was also Kaimanu’s first student.

Kaimanu and Baker met at PSU in 1988 and grew to be friends, both personally and professionally. She eventually hired Baker as a graduate assistant, helped him get a job working for Gov. John Kitzhaber on the Oregon Health Plan and mentored Baker through his dissertation for his doctorate.

But 19 years after the two friends met, Kaimanu was startled to hear that her friend and colleague had died.

“It was quite a shock,” said Kaimanu, a professor in the division of public administration in PSU’s Hatfield School of Government. “When it hit me, I had to take a few days to just recuperate.”

Kaimanu said when Baker was working as a researcher for Gov. Kitzhaber in the early 1990s, he related at the time that he never wanted to teach.

“He told me I was crazy to teach,” Kaimanu said.

But, she said, his feelings soon changed.

“He realized he had the soul of a teacher,” Kaimanu said.

Baker received his bachelor’s degree from Linfield College in 1987, Broshot said. Baker had previously worked overseas in countries in the Middle East and Asia to train emergency management personnel at international airports, Kaimanu said.

In 1988, Baker returned to school to pursue a master’s degree in public administration. With the degree, he worked for the next few years as a graduate assistant to Kaimanu and later with Gov. Kitzhaber.

In 1994, Baker graduated from PSU with a doctorate in public administration. Kaimanu mentored and advised Baker while he pursued his doctorate.

Baker was known to be very friendly, though very private. Kaimanu wrote in a letter to PSU faculty and staff: “For all of you who knew Tim, we will miss his high energy and optimism. He was a talented teacher and researcher. I was honored to be his teacher, then his colleague and mostly his friend. He will be missed.”

Kaimanu said Baker had planned to return to teaching fall term 2007. She said that because Baker was so private, no one had really known that he had become sick or might die.

“He took us all off guard,” she said. “I’ve known him for two decades–his daughter had no idea he’d been sick again.”

Broshot said that at Linfield, Baker mostly remained professional and serious. But, she said, he did crack jokes–even about himself being a very private person.

“He would never tell anyone how old he was,” Broshot said. “He would say he would tell you, but then he would have to kill you.”

Baker was known to be a hard worker when he was a student.

“Whatever he did, he put everything he had into it,” Kaimanu said.

Around Portland State, Baker was known as an excellent and motivating teacher.

“I’ve always heard marvelous reviews of Tim Baker,” Kaimanu said.

Baker is survived by his daughter Mandy, his only child. A memorial service will be held for Baker on Aug. 4 at 1 p.m. at the Linfield College Portland Campus, Peterson Hall, rooms 110-111.