Marvin Philip Baecker Jr.'s Obituary
Marvin Philip Baecker, Jr. was born December 29, 1943, in Kansas City, Kansas. On June 4, 2023, at the age of 79, Marvin passed away in Portland, Oregon. He was a resident of West Linn, Oregon.
Marvin was the oldest of five children born to parents Marvin Philip Baecker, M.D. and Anne Preston Baecker, RN. Marvin didn’t meet his father until he was two years old, because his father was in the US Navy during WWII, serving in the Pacific. The next child born was brother, Preston, then sister Charlotte, and then brothers Charles and Donald. The brothers and sister were always close knit. Charlotte and Charles proceeded Marvin in death.
Marvin grew up in Long Beach, California. He enjoyed summer vacations visiting family and cousins at their Kansas farm. Living close to the ocean in Long Beach, he liked swimming, surfing and boating. In high school he was a member of the swim team and water polo team. He graduated from Lakewood High School in 1962.
Marvin graduated from the University of Southern California in 1967. He met his college sweetheart, Annette Rini, at USC. Marvin and Annette married on June 24, 1967. They settled in Burbank, California and had two daughters, Ruth, and Ellen. Marvin especially loved Baecker family barbecues, and being with Annette’s Italian American family, which included savoring traditional Italian food and music.
Marvin’s computer career began in 1967 when he worked at Lockheed California Co. He was intrigued with the first large IBM mainframe computers. He focused on software design and development. Also, he taught computer science courses at UCLA for five years.
In 1975, Marvin joined an engineering company, CF Braun and Co., later called Santa Fe International. Marvin became the director of information technology for Santa Fe.
In 1990, Marvin began working for Oracle Corp. Since Marvin always loved the beauty of the Northwest, he took the opportunity to transfer and move his family to West Linn, Oregon in 1991. He managed large scale Oracle projects, and also worked on writing and publishing books regarding Oracle Methods.
Marvin and Annette were members of the Music Ministry at Resurrection Catholic Parish. Marvin appreciated music, especially classical music. In 2005, Marvin and Annette traveled with the choir on a pilgrimage to Rome, which included a deeply spiritual experience of singing at St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican.
During retirement, Marvin enjoyed gardening and long walks in nature. Being a lifelong learner, he was always taking classes on his computer through The Great Courses.
In late 2022, Marvin experienced a recurrence of cancer, and underwent treatments with faith, hope, and courage. He greatly appreciated all the love and support from family and friends.
Marvin is survived by his wife, Annette, daughters Ruth (Michael) Marleau, and Ellen (Joseph) DeVries, five grandchildren, and brothers Preston Baecker, and Donald Baecker.
In lieu of flowers, donation suggestions include St. Vincent de Paul of Resurrection Catholic Parish, Tualatin, Or., the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), and Unbound, Catholic Charity
What’s your fondest memory of Marvin?
What’s a lesson you learned from Marvin?
Share a story where Marvin's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Marvin you’ll never forget.
How did Marvin make you smile?