February 5 2020: BAKER, Tullia Maria Ann (Parisi)

Tullia Maria Ann (Parisi) Baker

Tullia Baker (Tillie), 84, passed peacefully on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 in Kensington, Maryland. Tillie was born August 24, 1935 in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania to Edith (Ferretti) and Francis O. Parisi.

At a very early age, Tillie became a full-fledged city girl in Wilmington, Delaware. She graduated from St. Peter’s Catholic elementary school, Wilmington Highschool and in 1956, from the Delaware Hospital School of Nursing. She passed the Nursing Boards in Delaware, becoming a Registered Nurse right before meeting her future husband; George H. Baker Jr. Always a romantic, Tillie eloped with George, marrying before two witnesses and a priest on January 25, 1957 at Sacred Heart Church in Wilmington.

By her second year of marriage, Tillie had a baby girl and was on her way to live in North Carolina, where George attended university and she passed the North Carolina boards and practiced nursing. Baby number two did not slow the couple down and, with George’s job, they moved to Mexico City, where her third and fourth children were born. Tillie loved adventure, and happily moved the family again, many years later in 1975 to Sao Paolo, Brazil. There, George continued his work for Hercules Corporation as Tillie embraced Brazil, nurtured her family, and made life-long friends.

Tillie returned to nursing when the family came home to Wilmington in 1979. She worked for Emily Bissell Hospital for 15 years before going on to perform private duty. As she worked, her family grew and the young people in her life—nieces, nephews, grandchildren—remained a steadfast priority.  Tillie kept the people she adored close with her positive attitude and generous compliments.

Tillie is survived by her daughter, Dena (Terry Jacobs) Baker, George (Monica) Baker, Michael (Lenore) Baker, Jeffrey (Debbie) Baker, her sister Rosemary (Joe) Farley, her sisters-in-law Shirley Parisi and Nancy Tieman, and ten beloved and adoring grandchildren and their significant others. She is also remembered by her nieces and nephews, their children, and by the extended Baker, Farley, and Parisi families.

In addition to her parents, Tillie was preceded in death by her husband, George Herbert Baker, Jr., her brother, Francis (Sonny) Parisi, Jr., Armand, Anne and Connie Cocco, George’s parents, her brothers-in-law; Howard Seward, James Tieman, and Gene Baker, and by her sister-in-law, Romayne Seward.

Washington, D.C. area friends are invited to celebrate Tillie’s life between 2p.m. and 4p.m.on February 14, 2020 in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Please contact family for details. Family and close friends of Tillie will celebrate a Mass of Christian burial at 10:30 am on Saturday, February 15, 2020 at St. Joseph’s on the Brandywine Church in Wilmington, Delaware. Interment will follow directly at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider sending contributions to honor Tullia Baker to the JCA Kensington Club memory care program:

JCA Kensington Club

12320 Parklawn Dr.

Rockville, Maryland 20852