Kurt Bauer's Obituary
Kurt Bauer, aged 90, passed away peacefully on Tuesday October 17th, surrounded by the love of his family.
He was born on October 2th, 1933 in Germany to Ottilie and Heinrich Bauer, and came to America in 1958 where he met his beloved wife Waltraud, whom he married on July 18, 1960. They were happily married for 56 years.
After graduating with an Engineering degree from the Rheinische Ingenieurschule in Bingen in 1956, Kurt began his long and storied career with Volkswagen as an engineer in their research and development division, in a one-year rotational program.
VW maintained a place for single male employees affectionately known then as the “BullenKloster”. It was there he was introduced by a roommate to classical music and got the hang of cooking too. His colleagues marveled at his interest and were not afraid to taste his creations, including Rouladen, which were enjoyed at the local swimming hole. Kurt remained an avid lover of cooking and classical music throughout his long and eventful life.
Despite no one ever having successfully left R & D for an international transfer, Kurt pressed the issue, and on April 1, 1958, arrived in San Francisco, CA to begin work handling customer complaints and researching warranty disputes in VW’s Service office.
He met Waltraud, his wife-to-be, in the San Francisco office. First colleagues, their friendship matured into mutual respect, and then love as time went by. In these early years, he purchased his first VW Beetle (for a whopping $1,524.80) and together, with Waltraud’s mother Frieda and Uncle Eddi along for the ride, they explored the San Francisco Bay Area, a city and state he came to love.
In 1960, he was ordered to transfer to Englewoods Cliffs NJ, then Volkswagen of America’s headquarters, to work in nationwide customer relations. Thus began
the first of many cross-country trips as he navigated the ascent of his 37-year long career with VW Audi, rising from Engineer to Executive Director of Corporate Service and Technical Support, a title he got to invent for himself.
Kurt was an early pioneer and adopter of all things computer and IT. He helped VW automate their warranty process, launching the first online dealer claim submission system for the company. He would do the same for Audi years later when made head of their newly created Service Division.
After “retiring” from VW / Audi in 1993, Kurt became an independent consultant, where his work automating business processes and developing large scale retail and dealer network systems continued for automotive companies such as General Motors and Mercedes Benz.
Kurt officially retired on April 1, 2005 and settled in Santa Rosa, with his beloved wife Waltraud and multiple feline friends, in a beautiful home he designed and built. They lived nestled in a canopy of California oak trees they both so dearly loved.
He made many lifelong friends, from all areas of his personal and professional life, that he nurtured with regular lunch dates. He was known by all for his optimistic outlook, his intellect, his interest in world politics, his love of animals and family, and for having a wicked sense of humor too. He leaves a big hole in our hearts, and will be missed by many.
Kurt’s greatest passions (to name a few) included:
Cars - especially Audi test vehicles - and driving them fast - very fast.
Woodworking - he created a small woodworking shop in his garage, complete with table saw and tools, where he built a variety of useful items including book shelves, cat stands and stairs, garden benches, boxes and planters.
Gardening - Kurt created a garden oasis in their Santa Rosa home, complete with kitchen garden and a variety of native and drought resistant plants that created a pleasing landscape. He also created feeding platforms for wildlife including birds,
deer and the occasional foxes who showed up at Kurt and Waltraud’s backdoor, seeking a free lunch or dinner of kibble.
Building model aircrafts - Ever the engineer at heart, Kurt enjoyed building model airplanes and even built a replica of the US Space Shuttle Atlantis and a really big model of the International Space Station. He loved watching the real ISS fly by from his upstairs deck on a warm summer’s night.
Kurt is preceded in death by his beloved wife Waltraud. He is survived by his daughters Karin and Andrea Bauer, his son-in-law Frank Borkam, his nieces Baerbel Boeck and Tina Zervas, and nephew Tom Briggs, his four-legged feline babies Rudi and Ziggy, and a wide assortment of wildlife that all found nourishment, love and support under his protective wing and watchful eye.
A memorial service will be held for Kurt on Friday, October 27th at Skylawn Funeral Home and Memorial Park, San Mateo CA. Guests may arrive at 10:30am with service to begin at 10:45am. This will be followed by a brief inurnment (where he’ll join his beloved Waltraud, her mother Frieda, and our dear Uncle Eddi too).
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your favorite animal charity
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