Ronald 'Ronnie' Baker

Ronnie Baker, 83, passed away on Saturday, January 10th, 2026. Boating and skiing were where Ronnie found his passions outside of his business and volunteer work. He loved to be in Vail, CO in the winter and when summer rolled around, you’d find him out on his boat at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Born on February 15, 1942, in Kansas City, Missouri, Ronnie was the first-born child of Harry & Ruth Baker. He had a wonderful childhood growing up with his younger sister & brother, Susan (Susie Baker Goldsmith) and Bruce (Bruce Baker). He could often be found being the leader of mischief with his siblings and cousins Diane, Steve and Julie. Ronnie graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School. He started college at the University of Oklahoma, finishing his degree at the University of Missouri graduating with a B.A. in Sociology & Government Business. He enjoyed his four years as a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.

Ronnie moved back to Kansas City to work for his father and uncle, Lou Baker z”l, in the window cleaning business his grandfather, Morris Baker z”l, started in the early 1920’s. He married and his family expanded to include his sons Kevin and Corey.

When Harry and his brother Lou sold their business, Ronnie and his brother-in-law, Ron Goldsmith z”l, (who had also been working for Harry & Lou) created their own cleaning business, BG Service Solutions. Initially their goal was to find 10 buildings to clean to support their families. Over the next 35 years, the company employed up to 6,000 people with offices in 10 states and added security services. Ronnie stayed active in the industry by becoming the President of BSCAI (Building Service Contractors Association International). The friends Ronnie met in the industry all became lifelong friends of his and Dierdre’s.

Ronnie met the love of his life, Dierdre Christensen in 1992. They had an instant connection from the first time they met. They became the best of friends before going out on their first date. Ronnie married Dierdre on May 8th, 1994 and started raising her daughter Kendra as his own. They spent 31 wonderfully loving years married and he was a beloved father to Kendra.

Ronnie was full of compassion and genuinely cared for the people in his life. He had a knack for not only connecting people but never losing touch with anyone he came across in the various stages on his life. He was always reaching out and calling people from his days running BG (both customers and employees). He kept in touch with people he worked with 20 years ago while he was volunteering in the community. He loved to hear about what was going on in their lives & tell stories from his past. Those who knew Ronnie will remember him for his kindness, loyalty, humor and genuine caring for others.

Ronnie generously gave back to his community through philanthropy & leadership. He truly wanted the best for his community and took a special interest in making sure aging adults had somewhere to reside. Ronnie used his calm leadership and business expertise to help Village Shalom while he was as board member and chair. Ronnie also was a board member and past President of the Jewish Community Center. As a board member of the Flo Harris Foundation, Ronnie brought first-hand knowledge to the committee as he was the only committee member who knew Flo personally. He always took great care and time to find how whichever grant they were reviewing would benefit those particular people. In the Vail community, Ronnie was on the Board of Bravo Vail which brings symphonies and pop performances to the Vail community. Ronnie also was involved and served on the board of the local Jewish congregation, B’nai Vail. He also supported and donated his time to meaningful charities throughout the Cabo, Mexico community.

Anyone that has known Ronnie knows his wicked sense of humor and how much he enjoyed playing fun pranks. He would call his mother or his sister pretending to be someone as simple as a police officer or worker at a phone company. With his friends he did more elaborate pranks always making them laugh in the end.

In retirement, Ronnie & Dierdre divided their time between Vail, CO, the lake in Osage Beach, MO and Cabo, Mexico. In Vail, he loved seeing how many days he could ski in a season and challenged himself to beat his record each subsequent year. Wherever in the world they were residing they enjoyed their time with very dear friends that they met in each city. He was also overjoyed becoming a grandfather to Hillman with whom he shared a special bond.

Ronnie is survived by his wife Dierdre, children Dr. Kendra Perkins (Chase), Corey Baker, Kevin Baker, grandson Hillman Perkins, siblings Susan Goldsmith (Ron z”l) and Bruce Baker (Janet), nephews and nieces Jeff Goldsmith (Jessica), Michelle Goldsmith, Austin Baker, Gabrielle (“Gabs”) Lalonde (Dylan), great niece Violet Goldsmith, great nephews Miles Goldsmith & Solomon Lalonde and many first cousins.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, January 13th at 10am at Louis Memorial Chapel, 6830 Troost Avenue, Kansas City. Zoom is provided and can be found on Ronnie's tribute page.

In lieu of flowers the family requests any donations be made to B’nai Vail, Beth Shalom & Village Shalom.