Margaret Dendievel Baer, age 91, died at her home in Port Washington on March 12, 2018. Born in England to Dorothy and Pierre Dendievel, she moved to the United States in 1931 and settled in Port Washington. She would remain a lifelong resident of the town. In 1948, she married Harry Baer and together they raised three children.
Margaret (Peggy) and her family enjoyed the ocean and spent many summers in the Hamptons. She was an animal lover, especially dogs, and owned many throughout her life. She followed the varied bird life on the Mill Pond where she lived and proudly reported on the annual baby birds hatching in her garden birdhouses.
An enthusiastic and knowledgeable collector of antiques, Margaret was the owner of The Red Door Antique Shop on lower Main Street for more than 25 years. Her large, often costumed, bear sat outside the shop and was a well-known mascot. She was an accomplished pianist and often played popular standards in her shop with customers singing along. She was an organizer/chairperson of the very successful annual Harbor Day for many years. In addition, she was the long term President of the Port Washington Harbor Association, an organization that worked to promote the historic character of the Harbor and enhance and improve business.
Margaret led a full and unique life. She had an extraordinary capacity for resilience. She is predeceased by her husband, Harry, and her four siblings:
Joyce Sparozic, Doreen Allen, Ronald Dendievel and Ida DeLaura. She is survived by her three children: Kathryn Curtis, Alan Baer and Patricia Cinque; five grandchildren: David, Zachary and Jessica Baer; Nicholas and Christopher Cinque. In addition, she is survived by her daughter-in-law, Karen Fleisig Baer, brothers-in-law Jean Sparozic and William Allen and a large extended family. Her final instruction to all: “Put the kettle on—it’s time for tea.”
