Richard Baumsteiger

Rich Baumsteiger completed his journey on this earth and was called home to his rest on September 10th, just 8 days prior to his 88th birthday.Rich leaves behind his devoted wife Alice Baumsteiger, faithful sons Chris, Kevin (Charlynn),his loving daughters Karen (Dave), Katrina (Edwin), Kimberly (Rob) and cherished grandchildren Nate, Tiana, Allison, Dennis, Greg, Pearl, and Emory, great grandchildren Corbin, Claire, brother Carl, and sister-in-law, Norma, and many beloved nieces and nephews.As we say goodbye for now, we are comforted by the belief that he will be greeted on the other side by friends and family who have gone before him. Rich grew up in San Francisco on the corner of Castro and 20th in a beautiful Victorian home. In his teen years he enjoyed taking his horse for rides through the polo fields in Golden Gate Park and kept "Fritzie" in the garage beneath the house.Rich attended Most Holy Redeemer grammar school and St. Ignatius High School. As a student at St. Ignatius, he played on the football team at a time when helmets were made of leather and the editor of the school yearbook described him as "hard hitting."From 1954 to 1956 Rich saw active duty in the United States Coast Guard spending time on the USCGC Sorrel, ice breaking, and maintaining navigational aids outside of Sitka Alaska.After his discharge Rich returned to San Francisco and began working in his father's cold storage business along with his brother, Fred. Their father Sebastian had started the business, Growers' Refrigeration, in 1929 and when the two boys stepped in to help, the business had fallen on hard times. Rich and Fred nursed it back to health and eventually passed it to their sons who carried it into the third generation.Rich met the love of his life, and his companion of 63 years, Alice (Villanueva) Baumsteiger in the Newman Club at San Francisco State in 1957. They settled in Corte Madera on Chapman Drive where they raised their five children who attended St. Patrick's Elementary School and Marin Catholic High School. Together Alice and Rich enjoyed many vacations and kept family ties alive with relatives in Germany, Spain, and New Zealand.Rich leaves behind a legacy that is remembered through the many lives of the people he touched. Whether you knew him through his dedication to his work, his fun loving and candid humor, or his devoted faith and his belief that we should treat each other the way we want to be treated, you couldn't experience Rich without feeling there was something very special about him. He will be missed dearly. A rosary and funeral Mass will be held at St. Patrick's Church in Larkspur, CA. The rosary will be at 7:00 PM on 9/22/22 and the funeral Mass will be at 10:00 AM on 9/23/22 with a reception in the gym immediately following.In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Davis Phinney Parkinson's Foundation. https://davisphinneyfoundation.org