Robert ‘Bob’ Baartz; the man who invented tennis racquet logo endorsement and went on to become a legendry international airline executive, has died in the UK after a heart attack.
His funeral will be held at Dorking Cemetery, Dorking, UK, on Friday March 9.
Born in Dalby, Queensland, Bob moved to Newcastle with his parents as a child, where he excelled in sport, playing first grade cricket and soccer.
He maintained his passion for sport and went on to be a member at Lords and a great mate of former Australian Test captain, Richie Benaud.
Having left school at 15, he landed a job with Spalding. Long before anyone else thought about sports sponsorship, Bob had a big S painted on the strings of a racket for a Wimbledon tournament, which changed professional sport forever.
Bob landed a job with BOAC, now British Airways, before becoming a hugely popular and successful executive with British Caledonian Airways, Europe’s largest independent airline.
Prior to BCAL merging with BA, Bob was head-hunted, by another Aussie airline legend, Paul Glaser, to build the UK/European markets for Continental Airlines.
Bob is survived by Marian, daughters Michele and Natalie, a grandchild and the Baartz clan in Newcastle.
RIP: ROBERT SIMPSON BAARTZ 28 August 1937 – 29 February 2012
