Dr. Reginald Baldwin

1949 - 2025

Dr. Reginald James Baldwin, 76, of Morro Bay, CA, passed on from his amazing and powerful life on September 25, 2025.

Reg was one of four children born to James and Gloria Baldwin in Rossmoor, CA. He didn't often speak of his childhood, but poverty was ever present. His parents did what they could, but Reg knew early on that his future – success or failure – would be up to him alone.

Reg took that challenge and ran with it to become a truly self-made man. He worked from an early age and put himself through optometry school. On weekends he drove up and down the coast in his Volkswagen Bug in search of a small town to start his practice and set a new course. He found Morro Bay, a community he would love and serve for the rest of his life.

He cherished his two children, April and Brent, most in life, and extended that devotion when his grandchildren came along. He was always focused on ensuring they had what they needed. He was a provider, and also a great teacher, showing them by doing things together, instilling values and integrity, making sure they both could take care of themselves. He never let them down.

Whether building the family ranch off Highway 41, laying irrigation, putting up a fence, clearing brush, replumbing systems, woodworking, or rewiring electrical panels, Reg saw everything as a chance to learn, teach, prepare, and to be with April and Brent.

Reg was the dad who organized the father/son backpacking trips, and he was the one who told the other dads that daughters were coming as well. He was the little league coach who invited girls to join his team and encouraged them to bat every inning. He was the dad who came up with and led the adventures, the trips to Nacimiento, camping in Big Sur, always cheering them on in sports.

A quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was handwritten on the first page of Reg's beloved Bible: "Everybody can be a leader, because everybody can serve." And serve he did.

Seeing that the church food pantry was languishing, Reg whipped it into a well-oiled machine, vastly expanding its impact. He volunteered his optometric services to the prisoners at the California Men's Colony. He traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico to provide free optometry services to those in need. He was the captain of the volunteer Fire Station 14 and was among the first responders to the Highway 41 fire of 1994.

And, of course, thousands of residents from Morro Bay and beyond knew Reg as Dr. Baldwin, our community's local optometrist for forty years. He brought special care for his patients that went beyond mere medical services. He cared for the whole person and the whole community.

With firmly held beliefs and values, Reg exuded strength and integrity, but also humility. He was asked a number of times to run for mayor and was treated like royalty at Dorn's Breakers Café. Despite having achieved much in his life, Reg was careful to avoid displays of affluence or pride – he always drove a basic pickup truck. He loved reading the Bible and his favorite verse was Colossians 1:27: "Christ in you is your only hope of glory."

At the end of the day and until the end of his life Reg was most comfortable in his work boots, together with his children and grandchildren, solving a problem, completing a project, learning and teaching how to do something, or watching them do it themselves because he knew they could.

We love you dad.

Reg is survived by his daughter April Hook and her husband Tom Hook; his son Brent and his wife Dr. Zenitra Kumar; and grandchildren Ethan, Carson, and Luke.

Services will be held on November 1st at 1:00 p.m. at Rock Harbor Church.

In lieu of flowers please tell your children you love them or do something nice for someone who needs it.