John Bauer

John J. Bauer of Port Washington died at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton on Friday, Oct. 4. He was 76.

Mr. Bauer was born in Milwaukee on Sept. 3, 1943, to John and Gertrude Vindick Bauer.

Mr. Bauer grew up in Brookfield and enjoyed bowling, softball and sheepshead. He earned an associate degree in accounting.

On July 10, 1965, he married Violet Lohr of Milwaukee.

The couple raised their family in Sussex, and Mr. Bauer worked with a paper product distribution company.

He served as a Village of Sussex trustee and will be remembered for organizing and lighting the Sussex fireworks and pyrotechnics at the Milwaukee lakefront years ago.

In the late 1980’s, the couple moved to Minnesota, where Mr. Bauer worked for another paper distribution firm. In 1992, the couple moved Port Washington and Mr. Bauer began selling commercial real estate. 

Mrs. Bauer died Jan. 9, 1995.

On Jan. 20, 1996, Mr. Bauer married Susan Voigt Knebel in Port.

The couple enjoyed camping around the state and they were members of the West Bend Kettle Kampers, a chapter of the Wisconsin Camping Association. Mr. Bauer was an active member of the group until his wife died on Dec. 18, 2018.

Mr. Bauer is survived by his children Lisa “Lee” Bauer of Greendale, Rhonda (Mike) Wells of Turtletown, Tenn., and John (Glennette) Knebel of Dallas, Ga.

He is further survived by grandchildren Rebecca Wells and Casey Rohman and sister Patricia (Gerald) Gundrum of Grayslake, Ill.

Mr. Bauer was preceded in death by his two wives and daughter Michelle “Mitch” Bauer.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at Poole Funeral Home and Crematory in Port Washington.

Visitation will be at the funeral home Saturday from 9 a.m. until the service.

Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee.

Memorials to Ozaukee Christian School in West Bend or The Humane Society are suggested.