William “Bill” Baumert, the longtime president of Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach who devoted more than six decades to the area’s beachfront clubs and the people who belonged to them, died Oct. 1 from complications of a stroke, his family said. He was 86.
Known affectionately as “Mr. B,” Baumert was a familiar and beloved figure at Sun & Surf, Silver Point and Breezy Point beach clubs, where he built lasting relationships with generations of members, families and employees.
When a tornado tore through Sun & Surf in August, Baumert came to the damaged club and spoke with reporters amid the wreckage. He outlined plans to restore the beachfront club and was determined to see it return to its former glory.
“He really cared,” his wife, Denise Baumert, of Atlantic Beach, said. “He cared about those beach clubs so much.”
William A. Baumert was born in Brooklyn on May 25, 1940, and grew up in Breezy Point, Queens. He began working as a lifeguard at the Breezy Point Beach Club and eventually took on other roles there, launching a career that would span more than 60 years at the three beach clubs.
Baumert also served in the U.S. Navy from 1962 to 1965, continuing what his family described as a lifelong connection to the water.
Denise Baumert remembered meeting her future husband at Sun & Surf about 50 years ago. He was working behind the bar when she asked him what he did during the winter.
The two eventually married and were together for more than 40 years, blending their families.
“He was a great person to be around,” Denise said. “He was the most caring person ever.”
Christopher Cullinan, one of Denise Baumert’s children, said Baumert was deeply devoted to his family.
“Nothing made him happier than when we were happy,” said Cullinan, who lives in Massachusetts.
Baumert had nine grandchildren, and spending time with them was one of his greatest joys, family members said.
“Spending time with his grandkids was his life,” said Denise Maier, Denise Baumert’s daughter, of Atlantic Beach. “He wanted to give them the world.”
In statements posted on social media following his death, Sun & Surf and Silver Point described Baumert as a beloved fixture of summers at the beach.
The clubs were “as much a part of Mr. B’s life as he was of theirs,” the statements said, noting that he took great pride in the relationships he developed with members over the years.
To his employees, the clubs said, Baumert was more than a boss. He was a “dedicated, loyal, and caring leader” who valued the people who worked alongside him.
His death came just weeks after the Aug. 20 tornado damaged Sun & Surf, including dozens of cabanas. Baumert had remained focused on rebuilding the club and preserving the place that had been central to his life.
For generations of beach club members, Baumert was more than an administrator. He was a constant presence who helped create summer memories and connections.
His legacy, his family and the clubs said, will continue through the generations of members, families and employees whose lives he touched.
In addition to his wife and stepchildren, Cullinan and Maier, Baumert is survived by his children, Vicky Coon and Christopher Baumert, both of Thornwood, Westchester County, and nine grandchildren.
A funeral Mass was held Oct. 6 at St. Ignatius Martyr Church in Long Beach, followed by burial at St. John’s Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens.
