Remembering Dick Baker, Part I

"Dick, I met you years ago when I sat in the lobby of Op waiting to meet with the graphics buyer. With no receptionist present, you walked me though every department looking for the right person for me to meet with.

"I remember thinking this guy is special, and I want to be like him. Over the years we had many more encounters, and you enriched my life each time we met.

"It is people like you, that keep the world turning. Thank you Dick for blessing my life in such a positive way."

Updated Thursday, 8:30 a.m.

Rosemary Brantley, Chair, Fashion Design, Otis College of Art and Design

"Almost a decade ago, Dick Baker came into our world of art and design education at Otis College. He was instantly our "go-to-guy" for all things related to the apparel industry, especially the action sports category. He gave wise counsel to us on so many occasions, and served tirelessly on our Otis Board of Trustees.

"Otis College of Art and Design was privileged to have honored Dick Baker at our annual Scholarship Fundraiser in 2002. He was presented with the distinguished Creative Vision Award. An apt award for Dick. He truly was always thinking ahead, and was well aware of the importance of nurturing art and design talent.

"He struck an agreement with me at that time that, if Otis honored him, then I in return would bring in professional designers from the authentic surf and skate industry in Orange County to serve as mentors. I agreed, of course, and it turns out that Otis and the Fashion Design Department in particular have reaped so many rewards from this promise to Dick. We have developed close relationships with this very important segment of the Nation's fashion industry, and have been befriended by some of the most caring and special people this Department will ever know. I am sure Dick knew exactly what he was doing and that the payoff would be ours.

"Dick himself was a man of great integrity and could make anything happen he believed in. He remains a hero to all of us at Otis Fashion and will always be remembered as one of the truly greatest guys ever!

"Because of his volunteer work on behalf of our college, many students -- who would not be able to go to college without financial aid, and who are often the first in their family to receive a college education -- have
and will become successful fashion designers, graphic artists, toy designers, sculptors, painters, digital media artists, and architects.

"Dick leaves a legacy that will live on and on."

Andrew Lelchuk, former senior vice president/chief operating officer, Op

"I knew from the moment I sat down to be interviewed by Dick Baker nine years ago, that nothing about the meeting was going to be ordinary. That day, and the next seven years working with Dick, were truly extraordinary.

"I think I know what it is like to be Jack and Ryan - because I think he was harder on me than he was his own sons - and that is not meant to be a complaint. He had high expectations from those that he felt deserved it - and worked tirelessly to bring out the most from those people. I asked him more than once 'Do you treat Jack and Ryan like this?' and the inevitable answer was 'No, of course not!'

"Dick was my mentor, camp counselor, moral compass, and Yoda - all rolled into one.

"Working as closely as we did - on a daily basis for seven years - there was certainly a routine to our interaction - much like a married couple. We would start out the morning over coffee - with Dick either sharing a revelation that came to him in the middle of the night or pontificating on how something should be changed or fixed - wit hin our company, within the industry, and within the world at large. From there we would slide into an unabashed critique of each other's fashion choices for the day - hurling insults loud enough at each other for the rest of the office to hear (and take delight in).

"The day would inevitably ebb and flow with phone calls, internal meetings, brainstorming, and strategizing. The remarkable thing with Dick that I think few people saw was that while he was engaging the surf industry through his involvement in SIMA and other activities, bringing the industry on his back into the new millennium and to a much more sophisticated retail landscape, he was also successfully reinventing the brand that in many ways, started it all - Op. In between phone calls to Mike Setola, Bob McKnight, Fernando Aguerre, Dawn Roberston, and Mickey Drexler, he was running a vibrant, growing company and nurturing a brand icon back to a respectable position within the industry.

"While I learned so much from Dick from an industry and business perspective, I learned more 'life lessons' from him that are far more valuable to me in how I live my life and apply myself. Dick truly was a part of our family (he made it that way) - even offering to video my first son Jackson's briss almost eight years ago. He delighted in children - mine, his, anyone's really. When he was with kids, everything else stopped - showing me again, what really matters in life.

"The stories and anecdotes are too many to share (I spent way too much time with Dick) in such a short missive, but suffice to say, there are memories that will last me a lifetime - some that bring smiles and chuckles and others that bring contemplation and introspection. I miss Dick, as we all do, and to Una, Jack, and Ryan, I offer up this prayer for Dick:

May the Lord bless you and keep you;
May the Lord shine His face upon you and be gracious unto you;
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and grant you peace.

Chris, Julie, Danielle, and Nick Schulz

"We have lost a bright light with Dick Baker's passing. My wife Julie and I had the good fortune to meet Dick and Una soon after all of us relocated to Orange County. Over the past 10 years, we had the pleasure to share many bottles of wine and good times in Dana Point and San Clemente, both in the kitchen and on the beach. Dick was a great businessman but, more importantly, a great father and friend to all who knew him. He absolutely adored his family, and glowed when speaking about Una, Ryan, and Jack. While it is sad that he had to leave us so soon, his legacy and influence will live on in all of us lucky enough to have known him.

"Dick, you may be gone, but will never be forgotten."

Chris is the former publisher of Coast Magazine. He is now president of Gulfshore Media in Florida.