Jane Baker, former San Mateo mayor, dies

San Mateo’s first female mayor, Jane Elaine Baker, died Friday at the age of 88.

She was first elected to the City Council in 1973 and served on it for 20 years. Called a "trailblazer” by her former colleagues, Baker was the likely impetus for term limits in San Mateo after winning five elections.

She also lobbied hard to be called a "councilwoman” rather than "councilmember” as her male counterparts on the council took the title of "councilman.”

She was known to be anti-development and began her political career in the campaign to save open space on Sugarloaf Mountain in San Mateo in the early 1970s.

In her first run for council, she beat back nine candidates, two of them incumbents, to join the council. She was only the second woman to be elected to the council and was appointed mayor six times.

Before moving to San Mateo, Baker was the hostess and producer of a television cooking show in San Francisco.

"When I first met Jane, she was interested in cooking menus and her children,” said Sue Lempert, who joined the San Mateo City Council the year Baker left.

Lempert also recalled her being "outspoken” at a time when politics was dominated by men.

"She was very outspoken, much to the horror of the men around her,” Lempert said.

She met her husband Bill Baker at Purdue University in 1941 while she was participating in a debate titled "Are men good or bad?”

Bill attended the debate for a speech class.

"I said to myself, ‘this broad is out of her mind,’” he said yesterday.

Four years later, the couple married on the day Jane graduated from college, her husband said. They were married for 66 years, reared two children and have four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Former San Mateo city manager Arne Croce worked closely with Baker for years.

"She was very tuned in to her constituents and the community,” Croce said. "She was quite driven and outspoken. She worked extremely hard for the city and essentially devoted all her time to it.”

Baker was on the council when it hired Croce, he said.

"She really worked to find consensus on the issues,” he said.

Carole Groom, current San Mateo County supervisor and former mayor of San Mateo, called her a great example to women.

"She was a hard-working public servant at a time when a lot of women weren’t involved,” Groom said.

Groom noted Baker’s extensive work on regional boards that helped boost San Mateo’s profile.

Baker served as chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and served as board president of the League of California Cities. She was also active with the League of Women Voters and several other groups.

"She was a remarkable woman who was not afraid to speak her mind,” Lempert said.

Lempert followed Baker’s path in many ways, she said.

Lempert, too, served on the MTC and League of California Cities.

The two worked closely together helping to bridge the divide between the schools and the city, Lempert said.

"I owe a lot to Jane,” Lempert said. "She was a trailblazer.”

Baker’s physical health was in decline in recent years, her husband said.

She was confined to a wheelchair and spent the last weeks of her life bedridden, her husband said.

"What can I say? She was a good wife,” Baker said yesterday.

A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of San Mateo, 3 p.m., Saturday, July 16.

Bill Silverfarb can be reached by email: silverfarb@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.