Thomas Baron Obituary, Death – At Brooke Grove Rehabilitation in Olney, Maryland on January 22, 2019, Thomas James Baron, also known as “The Bear,” passed away quietly. 71 years of age was nothing for him. On December 10, 1951, he entered this world in Hackensack, New Jersey. His mother and father, Robert George Baron and Margaret Hunter Baron, both predeceased him. Christopher Raymond Baron’s father and Robert George Baron, Jr.’s brother both passed away. His lovely wife Karan F. Baron, his son Kenneth Casey Baron and his wife Kari Leigh Ann Baron, his daughter Dr. Patty Ann Ford and her husband Brandon “Buck” Ford, his four grandchildren Colton Thomas Baron (15), Kyleigh Ann Baron (11), James Raymond Ford II (8), and Luke Casey Ford (2), and a large circle of friends will always remember him.
Sisters Lynn Ann Foster (married to Bear’s brother Randy Foster) and Caroline Avery are featured in the picture. His two sisters have given him nine nieces and nephews. Bear attended Walter Johnson High School, a public institution located in Bethesda, Maryland, where he participated in and excelled in three different sports: baseball, basketball, and football. While earning his electrical engineering degree and maintaining his baseball career at the University of Maryland. Then, he became an electrical engineer for NASA, Ford, and several defense companies. His work had taken him to Hawaii and California before he finally settled back in Maryland. Bear was a fan of both fast and slow pitch. When he played baseball, he was a terrifying bat and a superb catcher. He was quite knowledgeable about the game and really invested in it.
He has a lot of renown among baseball fans. You’ll never forget the time you spent with Bear. He shared his enthusiasm for the sport with anybody who would listen. For him, being inducted into the Greater Washington Fast Pitch Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2000 was a great honor. For the love of the game, he decided to organize the Bear Classic, a Labor Day Showcase event where high school athletes may compete in front of scouts from several nearby universities. This event occurred annually from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Many baseball players owe their success to its existence.
While a student at the University of Maryland, Bear was lucky enough to meet the love of his life, Karan, in Cumberland Hall. They’ve been married for a whopping 51 years! The two of them finally connected in the early spring of 1972. The baseball bat in his hands, he was swinging at slow-motion targets. He referred to her as “his lovely bride” from the moment they wed on. In 1980, Bear wed the stunning Karan at the Rock Creek Mansion in Bethesda. She assisted him in taking care of Brandy and Chessie, his two dogs, as well as his fast pitch business while living in his van. When it came to his children, he was completely devoted. He’d be happy to brag about Patty and Casey’s accomplishments all day. He described Patty as his “shining star” and compared Casey to “a breath of fresh air.” When he thought about Buck and Kari, he thought of another son and daughter. His four grandkids and three granddogs kept him laughing and smiling. He was always on FaceTime with his friends and family. Bear’s life had a lot more to it, so we hope and encourage all of his friends and people who cared about him to share their favorite memories of him. He liked to hear stories.