Mary Madalyn Boling Baker 

September 13, 1940 - March 23, 2014

Mary Madalyn Boling Baker passed away on March 23, 2014 at her home in Culver City, California after a nineteen-year struggle with cancer. Known as Madalyn to her family and friends, she was born in Cleburne, Texas on Friday, September 13, 1940. Madalyn graduated from Odessa High School in 1958 and married her high school sweetheart James Baker. Together, they recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary. Madalyn received a Bachelor's Degree in Art Education from Texas Woman's University and a Master's Degree in Interior Design from Iowa State University. She began her career as an interior designer in Washington, D.C. and worked for 20 years at Design & Interiors in Los Altos, California. In addition to interior design, her other professional accomplishments included teaching Art Education at the University of Minnesota and directing tennis camps in Westport, Connecticut and Austin, Texas. During this time, she played competitive tennis, achieving a national ranking in Women's 40 Doubles. Madalyn and James retired to Los Angeles in 2008. Madalyn dedicated her life to raising a close family and spent her favorite time with them cooking, traveling, celebrating holidays, playing games and playing tennis. In recent years, she spent her most cherished time with her six year-old granddaughter, Madalyn Lee Baker-Cross. Madalyn is survived by her husband, James; her two sons, Russell of Santa Fe, NM and Lane of Los Angeles, CA; her beloved granddaughter, Madalyn Lee; her sisters, Carolyn Poteet of Grand Prairie, TX and Louise Watson of Odessa, TX; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Madalyn was preceded in death by her parents Raymon Lee Boling of Godley, TX and Jennie Bess Lanham of Cleburne, TX; and a sister, baby Linda Sue. Private memorials for friends and family to celebrate Madalyn's life will take place in California and Texas. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center: (877) 427-2443 or www.giving.cedars-sinai.edu.

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