Obituary of Lynn Baker

Lynn Baker, resident of Poughkeepsie since 2014, passed away peacefully at home on April 14, 2023. She was 85 years old.  The daughter of Frank and Erma Konigsberg, Lynn was born in Manhattan and grew up on West 86th Street.  She attended PS166, Hunter College Junior High School and Bronx High School of Science.  Lynn was a second generation camper at Camp Red Wing Summer Camp for Girls on Schroon Lake, NY, passing on the tradition of being a proud Tuskie to her daughter, Karen.  She attended Russell Sage College in Troy, NY, studying fashion retailing.  There she met Jeremy Baker, who was studying Electrical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  Lynn and Jerry both graduated from NYU. They were married in New York City in 1960, where they lived for 32 years.

Lynn’s outstanding fashion retailing career began at Abraham & Straus, where she entered their highly selective training program.  She progressed from assistant buyer to buyer to merchandise manager for women’s sportswear, and was a department manager for the opening of the Manhasset store.  In 1973 she moved to Gertz Department Store as Vice President of Soft Lines.  She then went to Bradlees for 14 years as Vice President of Women’s Apparel.

Lynn and Jerry moved to Millbrook, NY in 1992 where they formed their own company, Cross Creek Recreational Products, with long-time friend and Dutchess County resident Zelda Aronstein.  They developed and sold recreational activities for people living with dementia (Alzheimer’s Disease) as a mail order business.  The company was sold to NASCO, a major suppler of educational and recreational supplies to schools and senior citizen facilities.

Now with free time, Lynn was able to return to her passion, the game of Bridge.  She was a Ruby Life Master, earning over 2,000 total points at local, sectional and regional tournaments.  She was President of Dutchess County Bridge Association and, as a director, ran many local duplicate events.  She taught Bridge at Marist CLS and the Poughkeepsie [Hudson Valley] Bridge Club, and was respected and appreciated by her students for her knowledge and patience.  Lynn also loved gardening, book club, Sudoku, theater, and was an avid supporter of The Powerhouse Theater Program at Vassar College.  She was a most loyal, dedicated and kind friend, mother, wife and teacher, deeply loved and will be missed.

Lynn is survived by husband Jeremy, daughter Karen, and brother Neil Konigsberg.  They would like to thank Hudson Valley Hospice for their compassionate care, and the doctors, nurses and staff of the Poughkeepsie area medical facilities.  Donations may be made in Lynn’s memory to Hudson Valley Hospice (www.hvhospice.org), your local hospice organization or lung cancer charity.  If you wish to send condolences, please visit Lynn’s obituary page at www.doylefuneralhome.com.  The family is planning a celebration of Lynn's life to take place in the summer of 2023.