Susan Baker

CMSgt. Susan Dale Blankenship Baker, 60, passed from this life to the next in the presence of her loved ones on January 19, 2018. Susan was born on October 18, 1957, in Forsyth County, NC, the first child of Herbert Lee Blankenship, Sr. and Ann Marie Kapps Blankenship. She was the first child in so many ways - ambitious, driven, competitive, and a born leader. At North Forsyth High School she was the first female to join the JROTC. Colonel Moody made a lifelong impression on Sue and she fell in love with the Air Force. Susan was nominated to both West Point and the Air Force Academy, though she missed receiving appointments at either location. Determined to continue towards the Air Force, Susan was accepted at Virginia Polytechnic Institute as a cadet in the ROTC program. She eventually left VPI and enlisted directly into the Air Force, where she would serve for the next 30 years; rising through the ranks to the level of Chief Master Sergeant (E9), the highest rank an enlisted Airman can achieve. While stationed in Georgia, she met and married D. Michael Baker. They were together 28 years. Serving in the Air Force was Susan's greatest passion and her truest love affair was in caring for her troops. As a supervisor in human resources, her troops were always on her mind and she took good care of them. Like so many veterans, Sue traveled extensively for her job and was stationed at bases in: Georgia, Guam, Illinois, New Mexico, North Carolina, and North Dakota. She also served tours of duty in: South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. She loved every minute of those 30 years, proud to serve her country. Susan is survived by her cats, Baby and Biggun, who have been placed with a loving family according to her wishes; her mother and caregiver for the past 7 years, Ann; sister, Ann Adkins and husband, David; brother, H. Lee Blankenship, Jr. and wife, Denise; niece, Christy Blankenship and husband, Matt Zemler; nephew, Justin Overby and wife, Samantha. She was preceded in death by her father, Herb. Sue lived her life with conviction, a steadiness of purpose and deep-seated patience that remained even in her final years as she battled Alzheimer's Disease. The family would like to thank the nursing and medical staff at Veterans Affairs in the Kernersville and Salisbury locations, the staff of the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice House, as well as many nurses and friends who helped care for Sue in her final months. A memorial service with full military honors for "Chief" Sue Baker will be held Saturday, February 17th, at 2:00 pm at Hayworth-Miller Rural Hall Chapel, 305 Bethania-Rural Hall Road, Rural Hall, NC 27045 (336-969-5593). A fellowship time will follow at Old Town Masonic Lodge, N. Causeway Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106 (336-922-3864). In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorials be made to Hospice & Palliative Care Center, 101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem, NC 27103 or the Alzheimer's Association, 4615 Dundas Drive, Suite 103, Greensboro, NC 27407 (online at www.alz.org). Online condolences may be made at www.hayworth-miller.com. (Hayworth-Miller Rural Hall)

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