It was 20-plus years of life, not one moment of death, that was remembered Friday at the funeral of Beau Baker.
In a short service, Dan Baker eulogized his brother as their mother’s “youngest pup,” and mother Jackie Baker asked the 150 people in attendance to keep Beau’s voice in their heads.
Dan spoke of his younger brother’s love for music and art, and called Beau a young man who could touch anyone’s heart.
Those comments were echoed by funeral-goers as they left the Ratz-Bechtel Funeral Home.
“He was a vivacious, dramatic little boy,” said Heather McAulay, whose family lived near the Bakers when Beau was young.
Longtime friend Darryl Waldick said Baker had moved to Kitchener to turn his life around.
“We were kids. We were doing stupid stuff, and he decided that he didn’t want to do it anymore,” he said.
Baker had been able to get away from that life, Waldick said – and unbeknownst to him, Waldick had started to do the same thanks to Baker’s example.
“I didn’t get the chance to say that to him, and that really hurts,” he said.
Baker was shot dead last week, following an altercation with police outside a residence on Brybeck Crescent.
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit continues to investigate the circumstances that led to the shooting.
