Franklin Burdick Baker

Franklin Burdick Baker, age 87, of Las Vegas formerly of Bozeman, died on Tuesday morning February 9th, 2021 at Nathan Adelson Hospice in LasVegas, Nevada. His son John Baker and his daughter-in-law Malihe Soheilwere at his side when he died. A celebration of Frank's Life will beheld 10am, Friday, February 26th at Franzen-Davis Funeral Home in LivingstonMontana.Frank was born in Livingston Montana on September 15th, 1933. He wasthe only surviving child of Frank A. Baker and Helen (Burdick) Bakeralso of Livingston Montana. Frank grew up in Livingston and graduatedfrom Park High School in 1951. In high school Frank used the name DickBaker, he was also known as "Whoa-Whoa," (see Park High's *1951 Ranger*yearbook). For a few years, his future wife Evelyn (Eggar) Baker, livedkiddy corner to Frank's home on South Fifth Street. Frank and Evelyn metas children and married as very young adults: Frank was 20 and Evelynwas a few days shy of 18. Shortly after their marriage Frank and Evelynmoved to Butte Montana where Frank studied Petroleum Engineering at thethen Montana School of Mines (now Montana Tech). While in Butte two ofFrank's surviving children were born: John and Aileen. Frank andEvelyn's third child Steve was born a few years later in Moab Utah.Frank graduated from Montana Tech in 1956 and started his long andsuccessful Petroleum Engineering career in Rangely Colorado. For thenext forty years, Frank drilled for oil all over the world. Hewildcatted all over the western US. Brought in some massive 60 thousandbarrel-a-day wells in southern Iran, worked in the -40C weather ofCanadian winters, drilled deep offshore in Scotland, Norway, andIndonesia. Frank progressed from a young engineer babysitting wildcatwells to managing large offshore drilling operations involving hundredsof people. By all accounts, Frank was an exemplary drilling engineer andwas proud of his work.When not working Frank was probably on the golf course. In his primeFrank was a scratch golfer; that's shooting par for you duffers. When hewasn't playing golf he was watching it. In 1960 he was on the 18thgreen at Cherry Hills watching Arnold Palmer score a dramatic win in theUS Open. Frank was also a capable basketball and baseball player. He wasinvited by the St. Louis Browns, a then minor league baseball team totry out, but his mother wouldn't have it. Professional sports weren'tdignified enough!Outside of work and play Frank was a proud father. He and his wifeEvelyn raised three children: John, Aileen, and Steven Baker. They, inturn, gave Frank four grandchildren, Brianna, Helen, Amanda, and Jacoband five great-grandchildren all of whom survive and miss him. Frank isnow free to join his pre-deceased wife Evelyn Baker.Frank will be interred in Mountain View Cemetery beside his wife Evelyn.Franzen-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory has been entrusted with arrangements.