James "Sambo" Baker

November 22, 1938 - March 30, 2015

Mr. James D. "Sambo" Baker, age 76, husband of Marlene Baker, and a resident of Campbellsville Pike in Columbia, passed away Monday, March 30, 2015 at Maury Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 2nd at 2:30pm in the chapel of Heritage Funeral Home with Keith Baker and Pastor Mark Proctor officiating. Burial will follow at Polk Memorial Gardens with military honors provided by the Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, April 1st from 4-8:30pm at Heritage Funeral Home. Heritage Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Sambo was born November 22, 1938 in Williamsport, Tennessee and was the son of the late William M. Baker and Laura Lucille King Baker. He served in the United States Army. He was the owner and operator of Baker Trucking for 40 years. He was a member of Highland Park Baptist Church. He was a man who was very meticulous about his yard, always working in it and making it look spectacular. He also was known for being a "fixer upper." His granddaughter Paxlee would say, "Baw Baw can fix anything." Sambo also enjoyed Nascar. One of his other interests was going to eat breakfast at various fast food restaurants and socializing with all his friends. Most of all, Sambo treasured being outside enjoying sitting underneath shade trees watching Paxlee ride bikes, riding motorcycles with his wife, and going to the river. Sambo was a family man who loved watching his grandkids play ball and Sunday lunches. One of his sons stated that "he taught me what hard work was." He will be greatly missed by all his family and friends. Along with his loving wife Marlene Baker, Sambo is survived by his sons: Jeff Baker of Columbia and Chris (Tracy) Baker of Columbia; daughters: Holly Baker of Columbia and Terri (Kevin) Boyd of Columbia; brother: Bobby G. (Martha) Baker of Pulaski; sisters: Helen (Thomas) Malugin of Primm Springs and Shirley (Randall) Wright of Columbia; sister-in-law: Anne Baker of Leoma; grandchildren: Dareain Baker, Zach Baker, Landon Baker, Paxlee Baker Harris, and Elizabeth (Jared) Metcalf; three great-grandchildren; brothers-in-law: Elmer Rummage of Columbia , Johnny (Bonnie) Crumby, and Jerry (Sally) Baggott; sisters-in-law: Charlene (Bobby) Lawrence and Darlene Johnson; mother-in-law: Martha Anderson. Along with his parents, he is preceded in death by his brothers: Robert Baker, Little Joe King Baker, and William Thomas "Tom" Baker; and sister: Mary Charlotte Rummage. Pallbearers will be Landon Baker, Zach Baker, Rusty Baker, Gene Rummage, Bobby White, Mark Goatz, Justin Johnson, Jason Malugin, and Randall Wright. Honorary pallbearers will be Willie Paul Sims, Carl Baker, and all his buddies from various breakfast restaurants including McDonald's, Kathy's, and Hardee's.