Thomas “Goose” Kaiser, the larger-than-life publican who owned bars in Parkville and Canton, died of cancer Aug. 12 at Stella Maris Hospice in Timonium. The Parkville resident was 88.
“It was his personality that made him successful and Goose was a lot of fun,” said Dave Naumann, who was co-owner with Mr. Kaiser of Bay Cafe in Canton.
“He loved sports, the Baltimore Colts, Orioles and after the Colts left, he was an Eagles fan for a time, and he liked organizing bus trips to games,” said Mr. Naumann.
Thomas Kaiser, son of Edward Kaiser, a musician, and Miriam Kaiser, a city government worker, was born and raised in Baltimore.
A graduate of Forest Park High School, he worked for the Maryland State Highway Administration until opening the Wishing Well in 1969 in Baltimore County.
“For a time in the 1970s, he also had a Wishing Well-by-the-Sea in Ocean City,” said his daughter, Judy Ruth of Towson.
“Bars like the Wishing Well and Turkey Joe Trabert’s in Fells Point, helped Baltimore heal after the 1968 riot,” former Baltimore Sun columnist Michael Olesker said in a telephone interview.
But after 30 years, Mr. Kaiser focused his attention on Bay Cafe, which he opened in 1989 on the Canton waterfront in Tindeco Wharf.
Bay Cafe, noted for its shrimp salad and palm tree island ambience, instantly became the place to go.
Sunday deck parties, according to Alfred W. Barry III, a Baltimore development consultant, were enlivened by reggae and calypso music and fueled by high octane island-themed potables.
“On ‘Big Hair Day,’ we drag in the girls and ladies from Pasadena, Timonium, Glen Burnie and there would be a line to get in around Boston Street,” Mr. Naumann said.”They came for fun from everywhere.”
As he had in Wishing Well days, Mr. Kaiser would charter buses to take fans to Orioles opening day. He’d charter planes to go to the Colts’ Super Bowl appearances and organize trips to places like Cooperstown, New York, for baseball Hall of Fame ceremonies.
“Goose was well-liked by customers most of the time,” Mr. Naumann said, laughing. “He could be a little stubborn at times, but was still a lot of fun. I’m 22 years younger than Goose, so sometimes we waited to do things when he was away.”
By 2013 the party was coming to an end and the decision was made not to renew the bar’s lease.
So, Bay Cafe mixed its last margarita and closed at the end of 2013.
Mr. Kaiser never lost his enthusiasm for Baltimore’s professional sports teams. He also enjoyed deep-sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.
Services were held Aug.19 at Ruck Towson Funeral Home.
In addition to his daughter, Mr. Kaiser is survived by his son, Andy Kaiser, of Selbyville, Delaware; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. A daughter, Tracey Kaiser, died in 2002; and another son, Tommy Kaiser, died in 2004. His marriage ended in divorce.