Obituary of Harvey Baer

BAER, HARVEY Lt. Col. USAF Retired Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Harvey Baer died peacefully at the age of 94 on August 24 having led an interesting, full and productive life. He is predeceased by his parents, Ben and Pearl Dubinsky Baer, and siblings Shubert Baer and Grace Sherman and his first wife, Phyllis Manassee Baer. He is survived by his wife, Shirley Hoffman Baer, his 3 children and their spouses, Barry Baer (Susan Baer), Lynne Baer (Jay Pidto), and Les Baer (Marianne Such-Baer), 6 grandchildren, and 7 great grandchildren. He was a proud veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam and lived on his own terms until the very end. In 1942, Harvey volunteered for the US Army Air Corps and becoming a navigator/bombardier serving in the European theater. On his last mission, his plane was shot down over German occupied Slovakia and was rescued by a group of Russian guerrillas. He was eventually returned to. U.S. Custody on Easter/Passover. Called back to active duty during the Korean War, Harvey had a distinguished career retiring as a Lt. Col. in 1964. Earning an MBA from the University of Michigan, he embarked on his second career as a hospital administrator. His first job was with the Pathology Department at the University of Michigan. In 1972, he returned to Denver and the University of Colorado where he was instrumental in creating the Faculty Practice Fund now known as UPI which supports all doctors at the University of Colorado medical school and hospital. At the age of 58, Harvey and Phyllis pursued his lifelong dream of owning land and farming. They purchased an orchard in Paonia, Colorado where they enjoyed being part of an active community. Harvey was president of the Paonia Rotary and Turner Ditch Company. Because of Phyllis'' poor health, they returned to Denver in 1993. In 2005, he married Shirley and they led an active life. Harvey enjoyed tennis and golf until he turned 90. He lived independently cooking and driving until the week before he died. Private Interment at Fort Logan National Cemetery with a Memorial Service to follow at Temple Emanuel, Wednesday, 1:00pm Contributions in his memory can be made to Jewish War Veterans or University of Colorado Foundation.