Love Boat creator Wilford Lloyd Baumes dies aged 86

According to an obituary from Mihovk-Rosenacker Funeral Homes in Ohio, Wilford Lloyd Baumes passed away “peacefully” on June 28.
He grew up nearby in Amberley Village, Ohio, before moving to Santa Barbara, California, as an adult.

The Love Boat creator Wilford Lloyd Baumes has died aged 86.

According to an obituary from Mihovk-Rosenacker Funeral Homes in Ohio, Baumes passed away “peacefully” on June 28.

He grew up nearby in Amberley Village, Ohio, before moving to Santa Barbara, California, as an adult.

The obituary added that he is survived by numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, great-grand-nieces, great-grand-nephews and great-great nieces and nephews – all of whom affectionally called him “Uncle Bud”.

Baumes is most famous for adapting Jeraldine Saunders’ 1974 memoir The Love Boats – about her experiences as a cruise ship hostess – into a television show titled The Love Boat.

He decided to team up with legendary producer Aaron Spelling to get the rights to The Love Boats after reading a newspaper review of the book which revealed “how easy it was to get laid aboard a cruise ship”.

The Love Boat, which ran for 10 seasons from 1977 to 1987, starred Gavin MacLeod, Lauren Tewes, Bernie Kopell and Patricia Klous, told the tales of various relationships which occurred on board a cruise ship.

Baumes also produced another hit series in Wonder Woman, which starred Lynda Carter as the famous superhero, and ran from 1975 to 1977 on ABC, and 1977 to 1979 on CBS.

The first season of the show was set during World War II, while the subsequent seasons jumped to the 1970s, when it aired.

Baumes’ other credits include writing for shows including The Wide World of Mystery and Help, Inc., while he also collaborated with executive producer Douglas S. Cramer for Bridget Loves Bernie, Nightmare in Badham County and Who Is the Black Dahlia?.

He also worked on the critically-acclaimed Holocaust miniseries, Qb VII.

As well as his on-screen success, Baumes was a keen interior designer, who created “masterpiece homesteads which have been featured in Santa Barbara Magazine and Architectural Digest,” his obituary stated.

The obituary continued: “His creative free spirit was perfectly complimented with his thoughtful and generous nature.

“Bud’s cocktail parties created lasting memories for his friends and family who he loved so deeply.”

Baumes’ family have asked for donations to the Alzheimer’s Association in lieu of flowers.