Mr. Laurel A. Bauer, age 90, of Dunedin, FL. passed away at his home on Sunday, August 7, 2016.

Funeral services were held  on Thursday, August 11, 2016 in the chapel of Harry T. Reid Funeral Home in Jasper, FL.

Interment followed at Evergreen Cemetery in Jasper.

Laurel was a native and longtime resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was the son of the late Walter and Theodora Esch Bauer. As a young man, Laurel joined the United States Army in service to his country during World War II. While he went there as duty to his country, it was in Germany that Laurel met Ms. Anna Bell Bennett, a young Army nurse from Jasper, FL. who was also there serving in the war. The two fell in love immediately and were faithfully married one to the other for the next seventy years.

However, Laurel's life of service did not end with the war.  He returned to Michigan and joined ranks with the Ann Arbor Fire Department where he worked for thirty years, ascending to the rank of Lieutenant. There are many heroic stories of Laurel running into, and even crashing through burning buildings to save the residents of Ann Arbor. With seventy years in marriage and thirty years with the fire department, one could unequivocally say Laurel was a dedicated man.  He was also especially devoted to his beloved University of Michigan Wolverines. In thirty-six years Laurel only missed attending seven Wolverines games. Even after his retirement to Florida you could see him around town in his Michigan suspenders and hat telling whoever was in earshot Go Blue!

Laurel leaves to mourn his loss his loving wife, Anna Bell Bennett Bauer; two daughters, Shirley Varney of Dunedin, FL and Brenda Benn and her husband Ronald of Novi, MI; three grandchildren, Gregory (Lia) Benn, Bradley (Takako) Benn and Audrey (Chris) Varney Beltz; and four great-grandchildren, Katelyn, Alex, Julia and Evelyn Benn.


In lieu of flowers please see:

http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/MemoryofLaurelBauer