The Lake Forest College community is mourning the loss of D.J. Baker, who passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday.
Baker, a native of Decatur, Illinois, had just completed his second year at the College and was a defensive lineman on the Forester football team. The communication major turned 20 in early May.
After appearing in just one game as a freshman, Baker saw action in all 10 of the team's contests and made six starts at nose tackle in 2015. He recorded at least one tackle in six of those games with a high of seven against Beloit College on September 26. His 17 stops on the season ranked third among the squad's defensive linemen.
"D.J. was just an awesome kid," began Lake Forest College Head Football Coach Jim Catanzaro. "He had an an extremely positive and infectious personality and marched to the beat of his own drum. He had become one of the leaders on our team and was enthusiastically involved in many of our community service projects, especially those including children. D.J. is certainly going to be missed by our entire team, both on and off the field, and our condolences go out to his family and many friends."
There will be an open visitation on Sunday, June 12, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Decatur, Illinois. The funeral service will follow at 5:00 p.m. at the church.
The service will be followed by a Celebration of Life hosted by D.J.'s friends and family. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. at The Knights of Columbus Hall in Decatur. Friends and family are invited to share prayers, support, and memories in celebration of DJ's life, and in thankfulness for the blessing that he was.
The full obituary can be seen here: http://www.semissourian.com/story/2310937.html
