John (Jack) Lorenzo Baden

John (Jack) Lorenzo Baden, age 91, of Cumming, Georgia, passed away on May 5, 2021 after a long illness. He died peacefully in his sleep at home.

Jack was born on December 10, 1929, to John Sr. and Harriott Bell. He was the middle child of three, with older sister Margie and younger sister Janet. Jack attended Nativity School where he met lifelong friends Pat Crosby and Eddie O'Connell. He attended St. John's Catholic High School and was known for his math and oratory skills.

After high-school, the then 17-year-old Jack altered his birth certificate in order to get a job at Western Electric, where the age requirement was 18. A few years later, with the start of the Korean War, he was classified as 1-A in the draft. He chose to enlist and joined the 187th Airborne, which offered $50 a month more than regular Army. In October of 1950, Jack, along with roughly 2800 other allied troops, parachuted out of a C-119 "Flying Boxcar" into enemy territory in the Sunchon-Sukchon area. Dad started sharing some of his war stories as he got older. He spoke of the British officer who had a Thanksgiving feast for him and some of his buddies. The feast consisted of tea and biscuits, which was indeed quite a meal. Dad also told us that anytime we were in a bar, if we saw anyone who was Turkish, we should buy them a round. A Turk gave Dad advice as to which side of a mountain he should scout. Dad went the way he suggested and was safe; other troops took the alternate route and weren't as fortunate. Dad wanted to honor that Turk for saving his life.

After returning from Korea, he continued working for Western Electric and, later, Bell Labs. He married Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Wikle in September 1955. Jack continued going to night school while working during the day and raising a family. He got his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from American University in 1967.

In 1971, Jack and Beth moved to Dunwoody, Georgia, where they would live for the next 30 years. Jack continued to work for Bell Labs, specializing in fiber optics. Some of his articles and patents can be seen online, with titles like "Mass splicing of single-mode fibers." He made many dear friends at Bell Labs over the years, including Bob Fangmann, Dan Howse, and Jim Aberson. Their families became close friends with ours. Dad was promoted to the rank of Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff, a rare honor at Bell Labs. He was proud to have been the first to receive the honor without a graduate degree.

Jack and Beth had six children, and they both lived to see fifteen grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He was fantastic with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, playing on the swingset with them and, of course, teasing them.

Jack was preceded in death in 2020 by Beth, his wife of nearly 65 years. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, May 10, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church, 4633 Shiloh Rd.; Cumming, GA 30040. Interment, with Military Honors, will follow at Sawnee View Gardens.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home Monday from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Ingram Funeral Home and Crematory, 210 Ingram Avenue, Cumming, Georgia 30040 is in charge of arrangements