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Monday, March 10, 2008

Ocean City HOOTERS Manager Dies

Although there's been nothing said locally about the HOOTERS Manager who passed away last week in Ocean City, I've been informed Mike Baylis has in fact passed away.

Michael Thomas Baylis

Michael Thomas Baylis, age 42, died Monday, March 3, 2008. Born on February 25, 1966 in New Jersey he was the son of Suzanne Baylis (nee Idell) and the late Thomas H. Baylis.

Michael had worked in the Restaurant business all his life, and most recently had been the operations manager at Hooters Restaurant in Ocean City for many years. He was a graduate of Smyrna High School in Smyrna, DE in 1984, and had attended Wesley College in Delaware. In his early years Michael played football and lacrosse.

There's no mention of how he passed away but I'm told by a friend that allegedly there was drugs and alcohol involved?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

His obituary was in last weeks Daily Times....that's the only place I saw it mentioned....

SBYGIRL

Anonymous said...

Whatever happened to the Hooters they were going to build in Salisbury? There was no public outcry against it, so what happened.

My sympathies to his family.

Anonymous said...

A friend of mine owns a local OC taxi business. Mike had a taxi driver pick him up daily at 11:45 to take him to the bar. The day before Mike's passing, he was picked up by the taxi driver. He looked bad and was gurgling blood. Driver asked him if he was okay, which he apparently said yes and proceeded to go to bar.....the next day the driver was there at his residence to pick him up at 11:45. Taxi driver said he did not come out and did not answer phone or door. Later that afternoon, officers and abulance was at residence.

Mike was a very very heavy drinker. It was not a secret.

Anonymous said...

I had heard he had been recently comfronted about internal issues with the operations.

Anonymous said...

it doesn’t surprise me that this happened to someone who works in this industry and chooses to stay in OC and do nothing all winter. its fairly common, the abuse that is.

the Hooters was going to be built next the movie theatre. in the theatre's rental contract a business cannot serve alcohol within 100 feet of the theaters doors. which explains the vacancies next to the theatre; other businesses have walked away from opening there. the mall got screwed in this deal. Once the theatre realizes that less people are going to the movies now, maybe they will allow it.

Anonymous said...

atlanticjw is correct. The only thing that I will add is that the owner of the cab company that picked up Mike everyday is the one that contacted police. The cab driver flagged down a police officer mid afternoon and told the officer the story. The cab driver requested the officer check on Mike's welfare at which point the officer went to Mikes residence and found him deceased.

Mike's employment was terminated about a week or two from HOOTERS prior to this incident. Mike was NOT an employee of HOOTERS at the time of the incident.

mbde said...

As a long time friend of Mike, I am saddened that he died this way. The hospitality industry offers the never ending party. Mike enjoyed the fun and couldn't let go of it. He had a good business sense, yet lacked the discipline sense like many people in this"social" line of work. To those of us who are and have been in the Food/Bev business, I hope we look at Mike's death as an example that life is short and we don't have to close every party. It's also about taking care of ourselves. There is no second round. Has the official cause of death been released? Is there confirmation that he was not employed at the time he passed away?

Anonymous said...

I consider Mike a good friend and know that he did a lot for the people who worked for him over the years. My friends would visit him each year when we were in town and it was always a good time. Although we noticed his health deteriorate the past few years we are saddened that anyone would be taken so early. Our trip is again planned for late June and when in town will order our Italian Surfers and one Mist for our late friend...he will be missed.

Andrew Solomon said...

I miss Mike. I grew up with him. A kind and gentle heart.