Phyllis Jean Baker “Myrt”, 83, of 10 Marquette, Irvine, a 25-year resident of Hidden Meadows near Escondido and the past three years in Irvine, died on  Friday, March 11, 2005.

Phyllis was born on November 18, 1921, in Casper, Wyoming, to Anna Marie (Mani) and James Bert Flanegan. She married Charles Richard “Dick” Baker on July 1, 1945, in Alameda, California.

She grew up in Florida and attended the University of Tampa where she acquired a Bachelor of Arts in June 1942. As a university co-ed in November 1940, she was the first girl in the university’s fall CAA training course to make a cross-country solo flight. She was a star student pilot and soloed after eight hours in the air and cross-country soloed after 22 more. She received her private pilot’s license in December 1940 at the age of 19.

She attended the Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School in Northampton, Massachusetts, and was stationed during WWII at MacDill Field Sub-depot in Florida and also in San Francisco and Alameda.

She had many interests during her lifetime and enjoyed bridge, golf, tennis, traveling, her rose garden, teaching, Oriental and other types of art, real estate sales, and flying.

She is survived by four sons, Richard (Nancy) of New York City, Neil (Sally) of Santa Rosa, Dean (Michiko) of Irvine and Doyle (Kathy) of Rome, Italy, six grandchildren, Keith, Julie, Lauren, Cynthia, Linda, and Debbie, two nieces  Jan Beaty and Sandra de Zeeuw , and one nephew James Bert Flanegan.

She was preceded in death by her spouse Dick Baker (1997), parents Anna Marie (1950) and James (1966), two sisters Bernice Watson (1990) and Sarah Janell Verri (1978) and by one brother James Hutchinson Flanegan (1991).

Private interment will be in the Point Loma National Cemetery in San Diego.