Patrick “Cubby” Baer died at Neillsville Medical Center on Saturday, September 26, 2026. It was a peaceful passing after struggling with COPD for several years. Pat was born in Marshfield, Wisconsin to Raymond and Florence (Reinhard) Baer on August 14, 1951. He was a graduate of Columbus High School (‘69) and received an associate degree from Mid-State Technical College.

Pat spent most of the 1970s working in the Chicagoland area for chain stores such as Korvette’s, Marshalls and TJ Maxx. Starting as a store manager, he worked his way up to District and Regional Management positions. One of the highlights from this era of his career was coordinating the opening of the first TJ Maxx location in the Chicago suburbs.

When ‘The Cub’ returned to Wisconsin in the 1980s while working for Fashion Crossroads, he re-discovered his childhood interest in baseball card collecting. He co-founded The Bullpen as a mail order business and eventually opened a store front location on Central Avenue in Marshfield. It was here that he branched out beyond baseball cards to include comic books and beanie babies.

Pat maintained his interest in collectibles after acquiring Marshfield historical memorabilia (such as postcards and photos) along with his purchase of the Charles Apartments in downtown Marshfield. He took a lot of pride in sharing these items with anyone who visited The Charles’ office and expanded his collection whenever he had the opportunity to discover more postcards of the city. The complete collection was passed on to the new owners when he sold the apartment building.

Patrick was a colorful character who deeply loved his family. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and attended every school concert, dance recital, and art exhibit. Family dinners and game nights were times he especially looked forward to.

Football was one of his passions. Each July he would start a countdown until the Packers season began. Under his daughter’s influence, he also became a Notre Dame fan later in life.

Patrick is survived by his brother Robert (Linda) Baer and sister Patty (Dennis) Delaney, children Patricia and Ryan (Karen), grandchildren Kaitlyn and Logan, and granddog Charlie. He was preceded in death by his parents, and brothers John and Thomas.

Respecting his wishes, the family will not be holding a funeral or memorial service. Please consider donating to the Wildwood Park Zoological Society in his memory to share his appreciation of our local zoo.