Ned Baber

REMEMBERING NED BABER ( 1937-2024 ) Ned Baber , past VSGA Amateur champion and longtime executive director of the Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame , died peacefully on April 24 surrounded by friends and family . Although he spent most of his life in Roanoke , Baber grew up in Lynchburg where he learned the game at Oakwood Country Club . Ned graduated from Virginia Episcopal School before enrolling at Washington & Lee University , where he served as captain of the Generals ’ 1959 golf team .

Baber ’ s accomplishments as a player and advocate of golf are lengthy and noteworthy . He won many tournaments over his lifetime . His six Virginia State Golf

Association championships include : the 1960 Amateur ; Four-Balls in 1968 and 1969 ( with Vinny Giles ); the 2007 Grand Masters ; and , two Super Senior Amateurs in 2010 and 2017 .

Baber helped form the Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and was an active Board member and volunteer until his passing . He served as the Hall of Fame ’ s Executive Director for 37 years . The Hall of Fame started providing financial assistance to students in 1980 . During Ned ’ s tenure , the RVGHOF awarded college scholarships exceeding $ 1.5 million to young adults in the greater Roanoke Valley . Baber was inducted into the Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame in 1982 ;

he also experienced the privilege of witnessing the induction of his son , Miller , in 2010 .

“ I consider Ned as family ,” said Tim McAfee , Roanoke Country Club general manager and PGA professional . “ I saw him almost every day . Some days it was for a couple of minutes and other times it was a couple of hours . If Ned wasn ’ t here playing golf , he would be here practicing . If he wasn ’ t practicing , he was here to talk about the Hall of Fame or something to do with the Club or the golf course .”

Baber was good friends with Giles , Virginia ’ s most decorated amateur . Both grew up in Lynchburg , where their families were members of Boonsboro Country Club .

“ Ned was one of the guys you would look up to ,” said Giles . “ He was six years older than me . I remember when he was 17 and I played him in the finals of the Lynchburg city junior championship . We had an old caddy master / pro at Oakwood named Morris Alexander , and Morris would claim when Ned did well , that he taught him everything he knew . But when Ned didn ’ t play well , Morris would say , ‘ That boy would never listen to me .’ It was kind of his joke .

“ He and I won the State Four-Ball twice ,” Giles added . “ From the time he was 15 or 16 to when he was 40 , he was a contender for all the state stuff . Ned was a very , very good player for a long time . He was pretty dogged , kind of like a dog with a bone . When he got hold of something , he wasn ’ t going to let go very easily .”

Baber is survived by his wife , Cary ; son , Miller , and his wife Hilarie ; daughter Cary Daly , and her husband , Mike ; sister , Jane White , and her husband Kenneth ; and two grandchildren .

-Contributed by Doug Doughty

VSGA ARCHIVES