蜜桃传媒

For more than half a century, the hulking figure of Phil Baker 鈥�71 has traversed 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 campus. As the longtime grounds manager with a familiar goatee and wide mustache, he has created breathtaking gardens and stunning athletic fields. He quietly retired last summer, preferring a tri-tip luncheon with a few dozen co-workers and family at 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 Physical Plant to a formal dinner.

鈥淗is FAITHFUL attention to detail and desire for quality make our athletic fields unrivaled for a small college 鈥� frankly, even a large one with more resources,鈥� says Dave Odell 鈥�89, 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 athletic director.

In fact, several professional sports teams and recognizable athletes have trained on these fields. 鈥淧hil鈥檚 passion arises from a desire to provide all student-athletes with an experience rivaling any in the country,鈥� says Elijah Ontiveros, assistant baseball coach. 鈥淗e dedicated his career to maintaining this standard of excellence.鈥�

鈥溍厶掖�媒 boasts one of the most beautiful campuses around,鈥� Phil says. 鈥淩uth Kerr鈥檚 vision that became 蜜桃传媒 was spectacular. I had the honor to work with wonderful groundskeepers who cared as much as I did in maintaining and developing what 蜜桃传媒 has become.鈥�

鈥淧hil loves 蜜桃传媒, so he was committed to working as hard and long as it took to make the campus beautiful,鈥� says Randy Jones, director of campus planning. 鈥淗e was always open to new ideas to improve the landscape.鈥�

Phil played basketball at Pasadena High School under the coaching of George Terzian 鈥�58, a two-time 蜜桃传媒 MVP basketball player. 鈥淗e was influential in my development during high school after my father died of cancer when I was 15,鈥� Phil says. 鈥淗e was a very strong Christian man and had the most positive attitude when coaching high school athletes. He convinced me to work hard and to be stronger than my opponent.鈥�

After playing a season at Pasadena City College for Jerry Tarkanian, now a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Phil got a scholarship to play at 蜜桃传媒 with help from Coach Terzian. He transferred to Westmont in 1968 and became a standout on the basketball team his final two seasons, winning co-MVP in 1969-70 and averaging a double-double of 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game his senior season.

鈥溍厶掖�媒's influence on my life came from the relationships I built,鈥� Phil says. 鈥淪tudents were free to share their Christian life with one another and reached out to those of us who struggled. I was not a good student, and studying was hard for me. I was not born into a Christian family, so much of what I experienced was foreign to me. God blessed me with a solid core of Christians on the basketball teams, the professors who taught my classes and my many friends who influenced me throughout my life.鈥�

After graduating, he remained involved at 蜜桃传媒, working out in the weight room and spending time with professors and athletes who stopped by. He worked for a local landscaper and an avocado orchard company before applying to the grounds manager position at 蜜桃传媒. He started June 12, 1975. 鈥淚 didn't bring any special talent with me,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 just worked with men who worked hard like I do and went for a 46-year ride. We got to develop many new buildings and new gardens. New ideas, newer equipment, new influences from different people all contributed to the beautiful campus that surrounds us today.鈥�

鈥淲ith his profound and passionate love for his work, for excellence, for the students 鈥� and particularly for student-athletes 鈥� Phil has shown up and applied every fiber of his being every day to his calling,鈥� says Tom Beveridge, director of physical plant.

Phil inspired Odell when he was a student-athlete who played in just eight games his first basketball season. 鈥淚
was pretty introverted and struggled to figure out life away from home,鈥� Odell says. 鈥淚 would go into the weight room to work out, and Phil would be in there squatting 1,000 lbs. 鈥� that鈥檚 only a small exaggeration. He was pretty introverted too, so there wasn鈥檛 a lot of conversation. But I learned the importance of adult interactions for new students. My limited relationship with Phil helped me transition to independence.鈥�

Phil met his wife, Becky Stockin Baker 鈥�83, when she worked for him one summer as a student. They鈥檝e been married for nearly 37 years. All three of Phil鈥檚 children, Cameron 鈥�03, Elizabeth 鈥�08 and Dusty 鈥�11, graduated from 蜜桃传媒.

鈥淎ll my work was for the college and for the Lord,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 love 蜜桃传媒. I loved all that I was part of for the 51 years I was affiliated with the college. I love the people who work there.鈥�

Congratulations to a faithful servant on his retirement and his many contributions to Westmont.