Fredrika Baer

Freddie Baer, Sept. 10, 1952 – Nov. 12, 2025, noted San Francisco-based collage artist and anarchist, passed away in Eureka after a three-year battle with cancer.

Fredrika Elizabeth Baer, daughter of Jack Baer and Elsie Lambert, grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Chicago. In 1978, Baer moved to San Francisco, which remained her home for the next forty plus years.

Baer was known for her collage work. She began illustrating articles, stories, and poems in anarchist and science fiction publications; magazine, book, and album covers rapidly followed. In addition to collage, Freddie was a proficient beader, obsessive collector, and silk screener, initiating a t-shirt of the month club in 1989. No obituary could be complete without mentioning Freddie Baer’s love of cats.

After retiring from WestEd in 2020, Freddie relocated to Eureka. She was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2022. Freddie passed on November 12.

Freddie Baer was unfailingly generous to her friends and to causes and political movements. Freddie was frank and caustic in humor, and flamboyant in her attire – she wore gorgeous patterned textiles, red boots, bold jewelry, and cat-eye glasses. She was a woman of size and proud of it. She rode a BMW R65 motorcycle for decades.

Freddie Baer was beloved by her many friends, and in many communities. She is survived by her sister Kristina Lardner, friend/”nephew” Erik, and her cat Ida. Freddie is also survived by an enormous body of collage and jewelry.

There will be a celebration of Freddie’s life in spring 2026 in San Francisco. Donations may be made to the Breast Gyn Health Project, BGHP.org.
Her works are being collected and made available by her estate at https://FreddieBaer.com. A full obituary can be found there as well.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Dec. 17 to Dec. 21, 2025, and available at Legacy.com.