Obituary of Belmont Baer

Belmont (“Bill”) Baer was born in the neighborhood of Woodside, which is located in the borough of Queens, in New York City, New York, on April 21, 1925, to Emil and Louise Lindner Baer. Bill grew up in New York City and after graduating from high school he worked for the United States Post Office as a letter carrier. He later enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he served for 26 years, first as a journalist, then a historian, and later as a statistician. While serving with the Air Force in Vietnam he was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service. He retired from the Air Force in 1975, with the rank of Master Sergeant. While stationed with the Air Force in Puerto Rico, Bill met and married María Elisa Torres in January of 1952. To this union were born four children – William Edward (“Billy”), Joseph, Marie Louise (“Marie”), and Eleanore Jean (“Jeannie”). He was a steady provider for his family, and he was a faithful caregiver to María until her death in June of 2012. On April 18, 2013, Bill made the destiny-changing decision to trust Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He is “absent from the body but present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Bill passed away on November 21, 2014, at the age of 89. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, by his brother Joseph, by his son Joseph, and by María. He is survived by Billy (wife – Terri), Marie and Jeannie, by three grandsons – Jonathan (wife-Lisa), David, and Daniel (wife-Kristen), and by eleven great-grandchildren – Tyler, Nathan, Gabriella, Isabella, Aiden, Vaughn, Emma, Jane, Kate, Faith, and Matthew. Bill is remembered by his family and friends for his patriotism, his sharp wit, his love of history, his generosity, and for his integrity. In his younger years he was a serious chess player, having won various trophies in competition. Having grown up in New York City, Bill loved baseball and was an avid New York Yankees fan. After moving to Los Angeles, California, Bill came to love the Dodgers, and enjoyed attending games with Marie Louise. Bill greatly valued education and he imparted to his children a love for reading. He made it a point to be well informed about current events. The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the staff and to Bill’s friends at “Just Like Home,” where Bill was residing when he passed away. They were very good to Bill. His memory will always be cherished by his family and friends.