Beverly Ann Baker

Beverly Ann Baker departed this life on Friday, January 12, 2018 in Sioux City, Iowa. Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Monday, January 22, 2018 at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. Visitation with the family present will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will be at Logan Park Cemetery. Beverly Ann Marion Baker was born in Omaha, NE on September 12, 1939 to the union of Robert E. Marion and Lillian E. Hayes. She was raised by her legal guardian and sister Elizabeth Kenner and her father Sidney Birch. Beverly was educated in the Sioux City public school system. She graduated from Central High School and later from Western Iowa Tech Community College as a dental assistant. In 1967 she was employed by St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and was on the job trained as a surgical technician with expertise in the head, neck, and maxillofacial dental surgeries. She became involved in establishing the first Surgical Technology Chapter in the Sioux City area serving in various office over the years. In 1972 she was employed as a National Certified Surgical Technologist by WITCC where she founded and implemented Sioux City’s first state approved curriculum for Surgical Technology. The program later received national accreditation under her direction. She continued her advanced education at Wayne State and Iowa State Universities. She became Iowa State licensed in the field of Surgical Technology and was then the program director/instructor at WITCC. In 1975, she worked for the National Associating of Surgical Technologists in Littleton, Colorado as Director of Professional Relations and editor of the national publication (ORT) Operating Room Tech. She returned to WITCC once the newly created position was established. In 1989, Beverly received an Outstanding Achievement Award-Education Division from the National Association of Surgical Technology. The award was made at the annual conference of the Association in Denver. It cited Baker for development of educational programming and instruction improving surgical technology in a specific geographical area, for her consistent participation in outstanding educational seminars or workshops in a specific geographical area and for her written educational materials in the area of surgical technology. She later signed with the Delmar Publications to publish a surgical technology fundamentals manual. In addition she wrote book reviews, articles, and co-authored texts in the medical-surgical field. In her spare time she did volunteer work for the Advocacy Committee of Siouxland Aging Service, graduated from Siouxland Leadership, was a presenter for Iowa State on Medicare fraud/abuse. She also became a certified lay speaker for the Methodist faith. A lifelong Christian, Beverly was baptized at the age of nine at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. As an adult, she wanted to be more involved in church ministry and was accepted by faith at Whitfield United Methodist Church where she served in many capacities. Retiring from WITCC after 25 years of service, Beverly entered the Morningside College School of Lay Ministry in 2006, graduating in 2009 as a Lay Missioner. She also attended Crescent Park United Methodist Church. Survivors celebrating her life are her son Roderick Lightner and his wife Brenda and her granddaughters Sydney and Jordan; a very special cousin Bill Jones; and friends are too numerous to count and each too special to try to prioritize. She was proceeded in death by her parents, sister, brothers, a favorite aunt, nieces, nephews, and special companion Hyim Ward.