Nome Baker, who was recently included in the Rossmoor Fitness Center Wall Of Fame has been playing tennis for over 85 years. Yes, that means he’s certainly over 90 years old and still going strong. But his life experiences outweigh his prowess on the tennis courts.
From inspecting aircraft as a teenager during World War II to leading cutting-edge medical research, Nome has lived a remarkably multifaceted life. Now residing at Rossmoor, the 96-year-old renaissance man can look back on a brilliant career as a biochemist and physiology expert that took him around the globe.
Nome's work experience started at just 15 years old on the assembly lines of a wartime aircraft factory. But it was academia that became his true calling. After earning his doctorate in physiology, he joined the faculty at UCLA's prestigious medical school.
There, Nome served as a senior instructor in biochemistry while directing the metabolic research laboratory in the nuclear medicine department. His desire to constantly learn led him to take sabbaticals, studying in London, Rome, Munich, and the Woods Hole research center in Massachusetts.
Nome made sure to nurture his Renaissance man spirits outside the lab as well. The polymath is an avid bridge player, skier, golfer and guitarist who learned several foreign languages just for fun.
Nome's most cherished roles, however, have been as a husband, father to four children, and grandfather to eight grandkids.
As Chris Bang approaches his 90th birthday, the engines keep revving for this daredevil senior with a passion for speed. Whether tearing around a racetrack behind the wheel, sailing down ski slopes, or smashing tennis returns, Bang has operated his life in the fast lane. The longtime Rossmoor resident has been playing competitive tennis for over two decades, most recently capturing third place in the community's Wild Card tournament. He's a mainstay on the men's team and casual club events.
Bang has been an avid participant in autocross and drag racing events over the years. He's restored more than 20 antique automobiles, including a 1941 Lincoln Continental that earned him Best in Show at the prestigious Pebble Beach Auto Show.
Not content to keep things earth-bound, Bang is also a licensed commercial pilot who loves taking to the skies. And if that's not enough, he added pickleball to his repertoire after retiring from a career at GTE and subsequent business ventures in real estate.
So what keeps this daring nonagenarian going full throttle? He just keeps moving.
While many players pick up tennis as a leisurely hobby, Chris Christopher started playing tennis at age 30, The 91-year-old Rossmoor resident has amassed an astonishing 60-plus USTA tournament victories across the country. His dogged determination paid major dividends. Christopher's collection bulges with a 3-inch thick file of newspaper clippings documenting his triumphs at USTA events, primarily in the singles division. The ace proved his mettle by not just beating players his own age, but also holding his own against college athletes decades younger.
When he was 45, he went to college and played on the varsity tennis team alongside 18-year-olds, Christopher devoted countless hours honing his craft on the court while maintaining a full-time career as a real estate broker.
Even now, years after capturing his final tournament crown, Christopher's passion remains undiminished. Though his play has shifted to recreational rounds with friends and family, he still attacks each shot with the zeal of his glory days. Keep a watch out for Chris at the next Wild Card tournament.
Nome Baker
Chris Bang
Chris Christopher
