Mary
GraceMary Grace
Her Story
Mary Grace Baker came into our world on April 10, 2017, and returned to heaven on July 4, 2025.
Mary Grace carried herself with a presence that will never be forgotten. When she would spot a teacher, friend, or their parents in the wild, those beautiful blonde curls would bounce towards you until she collided into you with a hug so grand it would nearly knock you over.
Demonstrating her incredible strength and enthusiasm, she considered it a personal challenge to see how hard she could squeeze and maybe even successfully lift you off the ground.
Mary Grace was born with an affinity for warming hearts and bringing joy to others. In the mad dash to make it to dance after school, she wouldn’t have even left the carpool line before she cracked some joke that elicited belly laughs so hard from her two friends that could only be stopped by rolling down the windows and belting a Disney ballad or a song made up by Mary Grace.
To say she lived big would be an understatement.
She learned to ski in Montana, hula in Hawaii, filled her dreams with becoming a Rockette in New York, became a self-proclaimed rock climber in Maine, discovered that “It’s a Small World” was her favorite ride at Disney World, and had countless trips to Crystal Beach and her cousin’s ranch in Marble Falls.
Between travels, she filled her days with dance, tennis, baseball, piano, and school/church. She wore a tutu just as well as she wore baseball pants. And sometimes even at the same time.
With five years at Marsha Woody Academy of Dance, a day never passed without her practicing the latest trick: a back-bend, a plié, and the ever-important jump back into “neat feet.”
She was thrilled to be an angel in the Beaumont Civic Ballet’s 2023 production of The Nutcracker, and was greatly anticipating her return to the Nutcracker. Though she fashioned herself a future ‘Clara,’ God knew she was meant to reprise her role as an angel.
When at home, Mary Grace enjoyed endless swimming and art time. If she ever suspected someone was feeling down, she would instantly craft a trinket to cheer you up. As a lover of rainbows, legos, tiny beads, and sequins were a natural medium for her elaborate creations, even at a young age.
Her school years began at Calder Baptist nursery, followed by three joyful years at Trinity Weekday Ministries, and four beautiful years at St. Anne Catholic School (SAS). She loved every single teacher who so generously poured into her.
Mary Grace was a brilliant student and managed to accomplish quite a bit in her academic career—even becoming principal (of the day) at SAS this year. Like a fairy godmother to her peers, she granted all 2nd graders a homework-free PJ day. Never one to discriminate, she mandated that Prek-4 (brother Jeb’s grade) and 5th grade (Aunt Emily is a 5th grade teacher) got extra recess time. She became a school-wide hero when she gave all students free popsicles.
However, the most fitting title she held at SAS was that of a proud recipient of the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award. In May, she was acknowledged as one of only nine children in the school who demonstrate Catholic principles in and out of the classroom, hold a positive attitude towards others, excel scholastically, and serve others. In short, Mary Grace demonstrated outstanding faith through her behavior at school and all she encountered.
Parents Clarke and Katie ensured that faith remained a cornerstone of Mary Grace’s life, having been baptized at four months old by Deacon Randy Cashiola, with whom she has shared a very special relationship and loved dearly. She received her First Reconciliation. Then two weeks after her eighth birthday, she received her First Holy Communion at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church where she had once received the sacrament of baptism.
God and family were the true center of Mary Grace’s life. Her relationship with cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings, and grandparents ran deep.
Mary Grace possessed the wonderfully lighthearted silliness that we hope for all of our children. And even showed the maturity that we would hope for ourselves as adults.
Mary Grace will forever remain a light to our world.
Our Mission
The Mary Grace Foundation was established to honor Mary Grace’s memory by doing what she did best: supporting our community and helping those in need. Every initiative we undertake, every dollar we donate, and every volunteer hour we organize is done in her spirit and with her values at heart.
We continue Mary Grace’s legacy through partnerships with local organizations like St. Ann’s Community Center, The Giving Field, and Heavens 27. These partnerships allow us to channel resources where they’re needed most—supporting families facing hardship, providing meals to those experiencing food insecurity, and creating programs that empower young people to reach their full potential.
We invite you to be part of this mission. Whether through giving, volunteering, or simply spreading kindness in your own community, you can help us honor Mary Grace’s memory.
