A much-loved actor known for his sitcom work, various Disney projects, and for starring alongside the legendary Elvis Presley has passed away at the age of 92.
Canadian star Joby Baker, who was also a painter, sculptor, and jewelry artisan, was born on March 26, 1934 in Montreal, Quebec. His birth name was Joseph. He died on Monday, June 22, of natural causes in Mount Kisco, New York.
Baker was, perhaps, known best for his lead role alongside Goldie Hawn in the 1960s CBS sitcom “Good Morning World.” He also lent his comedy chops to four episodes of the iconic “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”
He was also known for his long association with Walt Disney Studios. It resulted in appearances in movies like 1966’s “The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin,” 1968’s “Blackbeard’s Ghost,” and 1974’s “Superdad.”
Other notable movies he appeared in included all three “Gidget” movies between 1959 and 1963, 1959’s “The Last Angry Man,” 1960’s “The Wackiest Ship in the Army,” 1964’s “Looking for Love,” 1965’s “When the Boys Meet the Girls,” and 1978’s “Avalanche.”
On the small screen, his other credits included “Death Valley Days,” “Gemini Man,” “Police Story,” “The Streets of San Francisco,” “The Alfred Hitchock Hour,” “Perry Mason,” and “Quincy, M.E.”
The star also notably worked alongside Elvis in the 1965 musical romantic comedy movie “Girl Happy.”
Baker’s passing was officially announced to Deadline by his family on Saturday, July 4. However, his stepdaughter, Emma Jono, had posted about it on social media just over a week earlier on Friday, June 26.
Joby Baker’s Stepdaughter Paid Her Respects to Him
Joby Baker’s stepdaughter, jeweler Emma “Em” Jono, shared the news of her stepfather’s passing on her Instagram account with her 9,000+ followers.
The post included a single black-and-white photograph of two hands touching. Presumably they belong to Em and Joby Baker.
Em’s caption on her post begins, “this week I lost the person who made me a jeweler | Joby Noel Baker, my stepdad & the ‘jono’ namesake of em jono.”
It goes on, “a jeweler, painter & actor, he opened up the world of jewelry to me and it is because of him, and only him, that I do what I do now.”
The caption continues, “things will be moving a bit slower over the next few weeks so I appreciate your patience and understanding as I navigate this time.”
Em’s caption concludes, “lots of love, emma.”
Tributes poured in for Baker once news of his death began to circulate online.
Tributes Label Baker ‘A True Light in This Lifetime’
There are many online tributes for Joby Baker in the form of social media comments. Most notably, there are several on his stepdaughter’s post about his passing.
One Instagram user commented, “oh emma i’m so so sorry. a bit of him lives in each creation you make. how beautiful that so many of us unknowingly carry his spirit with us through your art.”
Another one said, “A true light in this lifetime ❤️.”
On X, someone else wrote, “That is a very sad blow for the industry.”
A different X user, after seeing some of Baker’s films listed, proclaimed, “Awww enjoyed him in those movies! He was always the goofy friend.”
We’d like to send our heartfelt condolences to Joby Baker’s family at this upsetting time. May he rest in eternal peace.
Joby Baker’s filmography and some personal info was courtesy of IMDb.
