Michael Trevor Baxter, Sr.

Michael Trevor Baxter, Sr., Retired Columbus Police Officer, passed peacefully in his home on October 2, 2021 surrounded by his family. He was 78 years old.

A visitation for friends and family will be held on Sunday, October 10, 2021 from 2:00 pm- 4:00 pm at McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory, 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907. A graveside service for the family will be held 1:00 PM Tuesday, October 12, 2021 at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery.

Mike was a devoted husband to his wife Karen and a loving father to his five children. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He loved sports, collecting coins, stamps and police patches and gardening.

Michael was born in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England and immigrated to Homestead, FL in 1957. He met his wife Karen at South Dade High School and joined the US Air Force after graduation. They married on June 13, 1964 in FT. Benning, GA. Mike served in the Air Force from 1962 to 1967. He joined the Columbus Police Department while obtaining his bachelor’s degree and went to earn his master’s degree in Criminal Justice. He was an integral part of the original group known as the Columbus Area Justice Information Systems (CAJIS) which developed computerization for the Police Department. He served as the Department Computer Security Officer as well as the first Terminal Agency Coordinator for the Columbus Police Department and the State of Georgia. For these contributions, July 31, 1997 was proclaimed by Mayor Bobby Peters as “Michael T. Baxter Day” and he was Officer of the Year in 1981, for helping to stop a break in at East Highland United Methodist Church.

Mr. Baxter was preceded in death by his father, Arthur Baxter and his step-father, Edwin Whatley.

He is survived by his wife Karen Baxter, his children, Diana Padgett (Mike), Michelle Beacham (Robbie), Leslie Eaton (Daniel), Andrea Allen (Chris) and Michael, Jr.; 8 grandchildren, Mitchel Moore, Mallory Manibusan, Jack and Henry Eaton, Trevor and Jacob Allen and Mikie III and Zarek Baxter; 5 great-grandchildren; his mother Iris Whatley (103 yrs. old); his brothers Bill Baxter (Carla) and Charles Whatley (Debbie) and nieces and nephews, Amanda Corrao (Nick), Savannah Huss (Eric), Mathew Whatley (Jen) and Ariel Whatley.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.ACT.ALZ.org and Parkinson’s Foundation at www.Parkinson.org.