Curtis Harold Baer, an active member of the Pacific Palisades community for 52 years, passed away peacefully on June 15, with his family at his bedside. He was 80 years old.
Curt was born October 1, 1932 to Ella Castelli and Harold A. Baer, who had a grocery store at 17th St. and Montana in Santa Monica (Baer’s Market). While growing up, he often worked in his father’s store and delivered newspapers for the Evening Outlook.
After graduating from Santa Monica High, Curt attended Santa Monica College and then transferred to USC, where he became a member of the ATO fraternity. He graduated in 1955 with a B.S. in finance.
Curt met his future wife, Leola, in the fall of 1953 at a college youth group called Gamma Delta, sponsored by the Lutheran Church in Westwood. There was an immediate attraction, even though Leola attended UCLA. By spring break they announced their engagement. They married on February 19, 1955 after completing their studies. On their month-long honeymoon they drove to Key West, Florida and flew to Havana, Cuba for a brief visit. This was at the time when battles ensued every other week between General Bautista and Fidel Castro.
After their return home, Curt was hired by Paine, Webber, Jackson and Curtis, a stock brokerage firm. He started at the bottom, marking the boards manually, long before the electronic boards. In the fall of 1956, he was drafted into the Army, and after attending Counter Intelligence School at Fort Holabird, Maryland, he was assigned to the Presidio in San Francisco. Curt served six years, and then returned with Leola to Santa Monica, where he rejoined Paine, Webber and became a registered stockbroker. He remained with the firm for 20 years.
In 1958, the Baers’ son Brian was born, and 18 months later their daughter Stephanie came along. The family then moved in 1961 from an apartment in Santa Monica to Pacific Palisades.
Curt strongly believed in community and church service. After being named “Citizen of the Week” by KNX News Radio in 1992, he stressed that “a person should not live in a community enjoying what the community has to offer, without giving something back.” He certainly lived by his words. He was active with the Santa Monica YMCA, where he enjoyed playing handball and volleyball, and eventually served as president of the board of directors. He was also co-founder of the Westside Trojan Club.
In Pacific Palisades, Curt was a member of the Graffiti Busters, the Village Green Committee and the Chamber of Commerce, and served as president of the Optimist Club and the Republican Club. He also served many years on the church council and as an elder at Palisades Lutheran Church.
After his years as a stockbroker, Curt entered the insurance business with an office in the Palisades. He retired at the close of 2011 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
He leaves his wife of 58 years, Leola; his son, Brian (wife Barbara); his daughter Stephanie (husband Tony); and three grandchildren: Victoria, Sean and Michele.
Tributes were made in honor of Curt at his memorial service by Victor Newlove of the Santa Monica Family YMCA, Arnie Wishnick and Don Haselkorn of the Palisades Optimist Club, Dr. Kingsley Fife of the USC Trojan Club and Nancy Cohen of the Republican Club.
The family invites others to share their memories of Curt at bit.ly/108upgG. Donations can be made in his memory to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, 199 Water St., New York, N.Y. 10038. Visit: www.alzinfo.org.
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