Allen Baker
9/1/47 - 10/28/20 

Schuyler Allen Bradley Baker, Jr. of Birmingham passed away on October 28, 2020 after a courageous battle with cancer. Allen was born on September 1, 1947, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and grew up in Birmingham. Allen graduated from Shades Valley High School in 1965, the University of Alabama in 1969, and Cumberland School of Law in 1973. He was a partner for Balch & Bingham for nearly 50 years and served as the firm's general counsel. He married Patty Wilson in 1974 and raised their 4 children in Birmingham. He was a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather, spending his free time with his family at Lake Martin and in Cashiers, NC.

He was widely known as "Big Al" and loved telling ghost stories and creating fun adventures for his grandchildren. He served as coach, commissioner, and chairman of Mountain Brook Athletics and coached many of his children's sports teams throughout the years. He enjoyed playing golf with his buddies in the Chiselers dogfight at the Country Club of Birmingham. He was a long-time member of Canterbury United Methodist Church and the Crawford Owen Sunday School class. Allen served on the Board of Directors of the St. Vincent's Foundation and was a former president of The Leukemia And Lymphoma Society of Alabama and Northwest Florida. He was a member of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club and Kiwanis Club of Birmingham. Allen was also a member, president, and king of the Beaux Arts Krewe.

He was a fellow for the American College of Trial Lawyers, and served on the American Board of Trial Advocates and on the Advisory Board of the Cumberland School of Law. He also served as a long-time House Corp Chairman of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at the University of Alabama.

He is survived by his wife, Patty; four children: Brad Baker (Sally), Will Baker (Susannah), Mike Baker (Laura), Sally Woods (Patrick); 11 grandchildren: Maggie Baker, Allen Baker, Kathryn Baker, Wilson Baker, Eliza Baker, Annie Baker, James Baker, Caroline Baker, Charlie Baker, Schuyler Woods, Walker Woods; his sister, Katie Lasker (Jim) and sisters-in-law, Cindy Baker and Peggy Pate (Bill). He is preceded in death by his parents Schuyler & Kathryn Baker; his brother, Stephen Baker; and infant grandson, William Woods.

A limited seating memorial service will be held at 12:00pm on October 31 at Canterbury United Methodist Church and streamed online at www.canterburyumc.org/funerals. There will be a drive-thru visitation at the church beginning at 1:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Canterbury United Methodist Church, 350 Overbrook Road, Birmingham, AL 35213 or the Bruno Cancer Center/St. Vincent's Foundation at www.stvhs.com/philanthropy/give or
1130 22nd Street South, Ste 1000, Birmingham, AL 35205.

Read the online obituary and guestbook here.
 
 

---