Richard Baer Obituary

Baer, Richard S.

Dick Baer, who was born when Woodrow Wilson was president, passed away on April 16, 2026 at his home in Wilmette, IL at the age of 105. He is survived by Phyllis, his loving wife of 73 years, sons Geoffrey (Amelia Kohm) of Evanston, IL, Tom (Tina) of Wilmette, IL, his daughter Catherine (Peter Gorman) of Mt. Horeb, WI and six grandchildren. Dick grew up in Chicago. He graduated from Hyde Park High School and earned an MBA at the University of Chicago. A World War II veteran, he spent three years in the Persian Gulf Command achieving the rank of technical sergeant. Dick spent his career as a CPA, first as a sole practitioner, then with partners at the firm Robbins, Baer, Baygood & Telpner. He retired in 1988. In retirement, Dick volunteered at both the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Botanic Garden. In 2015 he was named the Garden's official Poet Laureate. Dick loved writing poetry, and is the author of the book Humor on Wry. His other passions were photography, folk music, calling square dances, and creating his own humorous Christmas cards from the 1940s until the 2000s. A celebration of life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Folklore Village in Wisconsin, which can be made at folklorevillage.org.

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