South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - January 8, 1999
Deceased Name: SON OF BAER FOUNDER DIES OF CANCER AT 67 JAMES BAER CAME TO PLAY LARGE ROLE IN JEWISH COMMUNITY AND ITS CAUSES
James Baer, son of the founder of the Baer Furniture Company and founding president of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, died Thursday at his Boca Raton home. He was 67.
Mr. Baer fought a long battle with lung cancer. At the time of death in his home, he was surrounded by family members.
"Everybody who met him loved him, and everybody he met was a friend," said his son, Ronald. "He is going to be dearly missed."
The Indiana-born son of Melvin and Lucille Baer helped bring his family's business to South Florida in 1976. Today, there are 10 Baer stores in South Florida and two more slated to open later this year.
"He was working in 1945 when my grandparents started the business, and he took over the operations along with his two brothers," his son Ronald said.
As the business grew and flourished, Mr. Baer put his know-how and social consciousness to work for a host of local and international charities.
"Jim was a generous, hard-working human being for Jewish causes for overseas and here," said Herb Gimelstrob, a past president of the federation and a protege of Mr. Baer. "He was untiring. He had the foresight to start and bring this Jewish community center here. Without him, we would not have it."
While serving as vice president of the Palm Beach County Jewish Federation, Mr. Baer saw a need for an organization that would reach out to the Jewish community in southern Palm Beach County.
As a result, the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County was formed and its original campus in Boca Raton was named in honor of Mr. Baer and his wife, Margie.
"Between Jim and Rabbi Bruce S. Warshal publisher of the Jewish Journal], it all happened," said Marianne Bobick, who succeeded Mr. Baer as president of the federation in 1983. "It certainly would not have happened at that time."
A graduate of South Bend, Ind., Adams High School, he attended the University of Michigan and later served in the United States Army during the Korean War.
Mr. Baer, a founder and member of the board of The First United Bank in Boca Raton, also served on the board of the Boca Rio Golf Club of Boca Raton.
He was instrumental in the founding of other local institutions, including the Donna Klein Jewish Academy, Levis Jewish Community Center, the Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service and Camp Ted Weisberg.
Mr. Baer was the founder and national chairman of Missions of the United Jewish Appeal and served on the governing boards of the Council of Jewish Federations and the Joint Distribution Committee.
"He was a person who was totally dedicated to Judaism," Bobick said. "He was always concerned about the community and wanted to know that south Palm Beach County did for our Jewish community whatever we could."
Mr. Baer's death is "great loss to all humanity," Gimelstrob said. "In plain unadulterated language, one word describes him, 'mensche.'"
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Margie; sons Richard of Palm Beach Gardens and Ronald of Coral Springs; two brothers and a sister; five grandchildren, 16 nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday at Temple Beth El, 333 SW Fourth Ave., Boca Raton.
Edition: Palm Beach
Page: 1B