James Baxter

James Vincent Baxter was born May 7, 1948, in Danville, Kentucky to Homa James and Augusta Lee Baxter. His Father and older sister, Patricia, preceded him in death. When James was a young child, the family moved from Kentucky to Detroit, in hopes to get him the best care for his eyesight. It was here in Detroit that he was baptized at St. Stephen AME Church. James served the church through various youth ministries, including, but not limited to, altar boy, Youth Day Committee member, and youth church choir director. He became a devoted boy scout at St. Stephen, eventually earning the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable through the Boy Scouts of America. James was educated in the Detroit Public School System, graduating from Northwestern High School in 1966. In 1967, James and Patricia Marie Crouch were joined in holy matrimony at St. Matthew AME Church, with the late Harold C. Huggins as the officiant. The three children born to the union are Angela Keaton (Marcus), Cynthia Baxter-Terrell (Damon), and Laura Bivins (John). James had three daughters and took his role as a father seriously. There were several places in the community who would refer to his daughters as "Baxter's Girls." James Baxter worked hard and played hard. He spent majority of his career working in factories in the Metro Detroit area. Always dependable and giving his all, he was highly esteemed by his coworkers. For decades, James not only played he won several trophies in different states for bowling and bid whist tournaments. James absolutely loved fishing, gardening (he was affectionately known as Farmer Baxter), camping, collecting tools, listening to music (especially jazz), and watching movies. James always took pride in dressing well and smelling good! If you knew James well, you knew he cherished FAMILY over everything, James called his mother every morning at the crack of dawn. He would drop everything he was doing to help his family. When James became a grandfather, all bets were off! He was "PawPaw With the Big Truck." Though James is no longer with us on this earth, the fruits of the love he planted lives on in those he left behind. In passing this life, James leaves to cherish his precious memory: wife, Patricia; daughters, Angela Keaton (Marcus), Cynthia Baxter-Terrell (Damon), and Laura Bivins (John); two lovely granddaughters, Mya and Brooke; mother, Augusta Baxter; two sisters, ShaShu Amen-Ra, Rhonda Todd (Herbert); two brothers, Michael Baxter (Christine) and Kenneth Baxter (Margaret); his later in life partner, Sandra Reed and her loving family, his long time buddy Michael Ray, and a host of beloved aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

James Baxter

May 7, 1948 - August 6, 2024