A Celebration of Life for 44-year old Kali Lynn Baker of Omaha will be held on Sunday, October 11 from 1-3pm in Omaha outdoors at the Capitol District Plaza with remarks at 2pm.
Tables and seating will be socially distanced, and masks will be required for everyone’s safety due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In lieu of flowers, the family would like all memorials directed to The Kali Baker Memorial Fund at her beloved Omaha Community Foundation, 3555 Farnam Street, Suite 222, Omaha, NE, 68131 or by visiting omahafoundation.org.
Kali was born in Wakefield, NE, to Terry and Patricia Baker and passed away on Friday, October 2, 2020 due to complications from breast cancer that had more recently metastasized to her liver. At the end, she was surrounded by loved ones and passed peacefully and painlessly.
Kali was raised in Wakefield and excelled in athletics and academics. She was awarded a Regents Scholarship to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and went on to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.
Kali began her career in Omaha in the marketing departments at Borsheims and Kiewit, before ultimately taking her talents to the Omaha Community Foundation (OCF), where she served first as Director of Communications and then as Vice President of Community Investment until her passing.
It was at the Foundation that she was able to channel her devotion to community into a career. Throughout her 13 years at OCF, Kali spearheaded Omaha Gives, the community’s 24-hour celebration of giving, and launched The Landscape, a comprehensive community-indicator project incorporating policy and data.
Kali’s love of community and caring for others defined her life. She had an immeasurable impact as a mentor, friend, and leader to countless individuals through both her professional and personal endeavors.
Kali was a committed community volunteer, serving on the boards of Spark Community Development Intermediary, The Union for Contemporary Art, Nebraska Friends of Foster Children, and on the Community Development Committee for Film Streams.
Kali was a founding organizer of VOICE, a non-partisan group dedicated to creating a more inclusive, just, transparent, sustainable, and culturally vibrant Omaha. She also served as a Vice Chair for CommA, the communications association for community foundation professionals.
In 2013, Kali was recognized as one of Ten Outstanding Young Omahans (TOYO) by the Omaha Jaycees, and in 2014 she was recognized again for her commitment to the community by the Midlands Business Journal’s annual 40 Under 40 awards.
Kali was preceded in death by her maternal and paternal grandparents, her uncles, Leon and Jerry Baker; and aunt and uncle, Jan and Bob Masteller. She is survived by her loving partner, Rahul Misra of Detroit, MI; her parents, Terry and Patricia Baker of Wakefield, NE; her brother, sister-in-law, and beloved niece Jared, Whitney, and Mara Baker of Omaha, NE; her chihuahuas, Odin and Wolfie; uncle Burnie and aunt Esther Baker of South Sioux City, NE; aunt Alice Baker of Chadron, NE; uncle Paul and aunt Jan Jensen of Lincoln, NE; and many cousins.