‘She loved Rock Hill’: Longtime Rock Hill school district spokesperson dies
For many years, Elaine Baker was the face and voice of the Rock Hill school district.
“One-hundred percent of her heart was with the school district,” said Lynn Moody, former Rock Hill superintendent. “She loved her family, she loved the school district. She just loved Rock Hill period.”
Baker died Monday at Piedmont Medical Center after a battle with cancer, according to her online obituary and a post from the school district. She was 74.
Baker is survived by her husband Michael Baker, her son and daughter, her sister, her in-laws and other family, the obituary states.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Catawba Baptist Church, 1450 South Anderson Road in Rock Hill. The service will also be live streamed at www.catawbalive.com/elaine.baker.
Baker was born in Rock Hill and attended Central Elementary School, her obituary states. She graduated from Rock Hill High School in 1964.
Baker was head majorette and drum major of the “Bearcat Band of Distinction,” the obituary states.
Baker was a national baton twirling champion, taking home hundreds of awards along with state, regional and national championships. She was named “Majorette Queen of America” and “America’s Most Beautiful Majorette” in the same year, the obituary states.
Baker earned multiple degrees from Winthrop University. She started at the school district in 1966 and retired in 2015.
“We extend our thoughts and prayers to the Baker family,” reads a statement posted to the district’s Facebook page.
Baker worked in multiple departments and served as the Director of Information Services and spokesperson for the district, the obituary states.
Moody started in Rock Hill in 2003 as associate superintendent for planning, The Herald previously reported. She served as superintendent from 2006 to 2013. Moody said Baker coached her and others to ensure the district’s image stayed consistent and excellent.
“When I first became a superintendent, Elaine really took me under her wings,” Moody said. “She was so proud of Rock Hill schools. She invested a great deal of time in me .. and made sure I represented the district in the way she felt like the district should be represented.”
For 41 years, Baker was the first and only public information officer for the district, The Herald reported in 2015.
“No one else has as much impact, control over the perception of the district as Elaine,” Jim Vining, former school board chairman, said in 2015.
Moody said Baker would comfort her, coach her and teach her. Before she was named superintendent, Moody said she didn’t understand how much work Baker did for the district.
“I became very aware of how many things she did for the school district that most people had no idea,” Moody said. “She wanted us to be excellent in everything we did.”
Baker won more than 100 awards from the S.C. Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association during her tenure, the obituary states. Under Baker’s leadership, the district’s communications program was chosen twice as best in the state.
“She inspired me to be a better person every day,” Moody said.
