Obituary of William Carl Bauer Jr.

William Carl Bauer, Jr., 83, peacefully passed away at home, of natural causes, on October 14. Born November 2, 1936, in Springfield, Massachusetts, he was the son of the late William C. and Agnes (Christie) Bauer.  He attended local schools, graduating from Springfield Technical High School in 1953.

Following his graduation, William enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., where he began a life-long interest in aviation. Upon his discharge, he returned to Massachusetts and began working at Hamilton Standard, a Windsor Locks, Connecticut, subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation that manufactures aircraft parts. After leaving Hamilton Standard, William was employed by the United States Postal Service, with whom he remained until his retirement, when he relocated to St. Petersburg. 

Once settled in Florida, Bill continued his love of flying small aircraft, especially Cessnas, Pipers, and Beechcrafts.   A 32^nd degree Freemason, he was very active in Masonic life, in particular with the Jerusalem Lodge and the Shrine, and he was a communicant of Lighthouse Church.  Bill enjoyed traveling and did so extensively, accompanied by his longtime companion the late Ngoclan Ngo. He remained a proud former Marine until his death.

In Florida, William leaves his son, William C. Bauer, III, 3 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, and many, many friends. Several extended family members reside elsewhere.

Services, including ceremonies by the Freemasons and the Veterans, will be held at the Anderson McQueen Funeral Home, 7820 38^th Ave N, St Petersburg, on Thursday, October 29, at 11:00 a.m.  Interment will be at the Veterans Cemetery in Sarasota on Monday, November 2.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Shriner’s Hospital for Children, 516 Carew St, Springfield, MA, 01104.