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Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Governor Orders Flags to Half-Staff in honor of former lawmaker Walter Baker
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Gov. Steve Beshear has directed that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff until sunset on Saturday, May 29 in memory of former state lawmaker and Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Walter Baker who died from his battle with cancer on May 24 in his home in Glasgow.
“Walter was not only an enthusiastic and hardworking public servant, he was a friend,” said Gov. Beshear. “During his several decades of service, he earned the respect and admiration of both Democrat and Republican lawmakers, who routinely sought his counsel and advice. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”
Baker acted as a public servant in Kentucky for over 40 years. He was first elected to the Kentucky House in 1967 and served two terms there before moving to the Senate in 1972. After leaving in 1981 to work at the U.S. Department of Defense, Baker returned to win back his old Senate seat in 1988. He served there until 1996, when Gov. Paul Patton appointed him to a vacancy on the Kentucky Supreme Court. Baker also has served on the Prichard Committee and was a member of the Council on Postsecondary Education.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 29 at 11 a.m. Central time at First Christian Church in Glasgow. The governor has directed that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff until sunset on that day.
Gov. Beshear encourages individuals, businesses, organizations and government agencies to join in this tribute by lowering flags to half-staff.
Flag status information is available at www.governor.ky.gov/flagstatus.htm.
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