Oleda Baker DiMeola

Oleda is survived by her husband, Richard of 26 years; son, David (Carmen) Pettis of Florida; stepson Scott (Meenakshi) Baker of NYC; embraced stepdaughters Kathy (David) Scanlan of Bow, NH; Daryl (John) Lucke of Pittsburgh, PA; Sue (Tim) Allaire of Plymouth, MA; and Ann (Walter) Grote of Boston, MA; sister Carmen Bailey of TX; and grandchildren David Paul, Alison and Sean.

Born in Plant City, Florida, Oleda grew up in Miami and graduated from Miami Edison High School. After some local modeling in Florida, she went to New York City and became a high fashion model, originally with the Plaza Five Agency, and then as one of the first models with the famed Wilhelmina Agency, posing for print ads in magazines and newspapers and performing in numerous TV commercials over the years.

Oleda authored ten beauty books, published by Prentice-Hall, Doubleday and others. The latest is titled, “Breaking the Age Barrier” (2010). Others include “The I Hate to Make Up Book,” “How to Create the Illusion of a More Perfect Figure,” “29 Forever,” “Be a Woman,” and “The Models’ Way to Beauty, Slenderness and Glowing Health,” among others. She also wrote a novel, titled, “Reluctant Goddess, the woman who has everything–except a man to love her for herself!”

She founded Oleda and Company, Inc. in 1972 in New York City to develop health, beauty and anti-aging products. The company, which specialized in products such as the Oleda Wrinkle-Smooth Night Cream, Oleda Hair Helper Vitamin, and some 200 other items, later relocated its headquarters and fulfillment center to Fort Worth, Texas, in 1990. She had been retired from business for the last ten years.

Oleda had a knack for recognizing and bringing out beauty in other people. Many customers of Oleda and Company have attested to that. She also helped the inmates at New York’s prison for women, especially those in anticipation of being released by teaching them basic makeup techniques and simple fashion tricks to compliment an individual’s skin tone and posture.

Among the many magazine articles she wrote, one in Cosmopolitan Magazine drew budding talk show host Oprah Winfrey’s attention, who interviewed Oleda about it on her (pre-fame) show, People Are Talking in Baltimore (circa 1980). Taken by her angelic beauty, Oprah told Oleda she could never be as attractive as she was, to which Oleda replied, “Oprah, you’re hiding your beauty.”

At age 38, Oleda got the urge to become an artist. Never having had a paintbrush in her hand before, she went to an artists’ supply store in New York City, bought all the necessary equipment and began her career as a creator of oil paintings. She perfected her innate talent and developed into a self-taught, visionary artist with exhibitions of her work in museums (Wichita, KS, DeLand, FL) and various galleries over the years (the last at Gallery 22, Boca Raton, FL).

Recognized for her youthful beauty all her life, people who knew her have often admired that beauty and then have been quick to add, “inside and out.”

A visitation will be held at Babione Funeral Home, 10060 Calle Comercio Drive, Boca Raton, Florida, on April 6, 2026, from 9:30 am to 11:30 pm. A prayer service will take place at Babione Funeral Home, 10060 Calle Comercio Drive, Boca Raton, Florida, on April 6, 2026, at 10:00 am.

A committal will be held at South Florida National Cemetery, 6501 State Rd 7, Lake Worth, Florida, on April 6, 2026, from 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm.

A celebration of life gathering will be held at Stonebridge Country Club, 10343 Stonebridge Blvd., Boca Raton, FL ((just north of Clint Moore Rd, south on Route 441), 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm.