BAKER

KELSO SYDNEY

Age 96, passed away peacefully, on the morning of August 24, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. He is survived by his loving wife of 68 years, Vera Mae Springer; his beloved daughter, Deirdre Shannon Hunter and her husband, Dave Hunter; and his dear grandsons, Dylan Connor Thomas Dunlop and Morgan Kelso Sydney Dunlop.

Also surviving are two sisters, Pearl Priscilla Arthur of Virginia and Violet Susie Dodson of North Carolina.

Kelso, the son of Ethel and Clarence Baker, was raised on his father's dairy farm in Lynchburg, Campbell County, Virginia.

He attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), where he was a member of the VT Corps of Cadets, graduating in 1951 with a BS in Civil Engineering.

He began his engineering career with the U.S. Army Corps of engineers working on a runway expansion project at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

Following a tour of duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, Kelso took a job in Cambridge, Massachusetts with Badger Company, a world-wide firm involved in the design and construction of petroleum and chemical plants. Working initially as a project engineer and later as a construction superintendent, he was engaged primarily in projects in the eastern U.S. and Canada.

Kelso moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and accepted a position as a project engineer with Electromelt, a division of Magraw-Edison that designed, manufactured, and erected hot metal steel-making equipment. In 1963, he established his own firm, Baker Process Equipment Company Inc, with offices in Pittsburgh, Charleston, West Virginia, and Cleveland, Ohio. Kelso continued to operate the business until 2022 when he reached the age of 93.

Kelso was a longtime benefactor of Virginia Tech, and was also a member of the university's Ut Prosim Society and the College of Engineering's Committee of 100. Kelso was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni by the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. In addition, he established a scholarship endowment within the university that provides need and merit-based assistance to cadets and engineers. A generous civil engineering alumnus, he provided valuable service and advice to the department during his tenure on the Civil Engineering Alumni Board.

In 1999, Kelso made it possible for the university to host the premier facility in the mid-Atlantic region for hydraulics research. The Kelso S. Baker Environmental Hydraulics laboratory was established, enabling researchers to study phenomena related to the movement of water, sediment, and pollutants through wetlands and waterways. The lab also provides the means for modeling the behavior of streamflow during floods, and simulating ecological aspects of chemical channel flows.

The Baker Hydraulics Lab increases opportunities for interdisciplinary research in the field of hydraulics. In addition, the lab allows the university to recruit top-quality graduate students and provides training for undergraduates.

Kelso loved to play golf and never missed a Virginia Tech football game. He was a role model for many, consistently exhibiting an inspiring work ethic, a sharp intellect, and a timely sense of humor.

Kelso was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He was dedicated to his family, his work, and his university. His presence will be irreplaceable, and he will be missed beyond measure.

Kelso has been laid to rest at Hopewell Hebron Church Cemetery in Clinton, Pennsylvania.