Richard "Rick" Bauer

Richard J. Bauer, age 80, of Wayne, passed away on Thursday, July 4, 2024.

The second of Stephen and Mary (Koszarek) Bauer’s four sons, Rick was born and raised in New Rochelle, NY. He was a graduate of New Rochelle High School’s Class of 1961. After high school, Rick furthered his education at Westchester Community College where he earned his Associates degree.

Fresh out of college, Rick launched a life-long career in the world of steel fabrication. He began working as a fabricator for Joseph Charla Iron Works in New Rochelle, New York. He later worked as a project manager for Vicon Construction in Lincoln Park. In 1983, Rick and his wife Susan began their own steel fabrication company in Ringwood, NJ which they called Susan R. Bauer, Inc. Involved in all kinds of steel construction, one of their specialties is bridge work. In fact, you have probably driven over one of the bridges that is the result of the skill and craftsmanship that Susan R. Bauer, Inc. has become known for. Rick served in the role of Chief Operating Officer. He loved his work and never really considered retirement.

Rick and his wife Sue met when he was just thirteen and she was just eleven. Their first encounter was at the New Rochelle Rowing Club (Pine Island) in 1957. Three years later, after Sue and her parents returned home from a trip to Europe, Sue had asked Rick to a dance and the rest is history. They soon fell in love and ultimately exchanged their wedding promises before God, family and friends on November 28, 1964, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Mount Vernon, NY. The wedding ceremony was followed by a reception at the Eldorado Beach Club in New Rochelle, NY where the cost per plate was a mere sixteen dollars – and Sue’s father thought that was expensive. Aaah, the good old days! After a honeymoon in Pennsylvania, Rick and Sue started their journey as husband and wife in a garden apartment located at Cooper Drive in New Rochelle. From there they purchased their first home located at 120 Hillside Ave. in Mount Vernon, NY. They remained there until moving in 1976 to their present home in Wayne. This coming November, Rick and Sue would have been married for 60 years and, it was a marriage which could be best described as loving and cherished.

Rick was a man with many interests. As a young man, he loved going deer hunting with his uncle and brothers. Crew Rowing was another passion. It probably gave Rick the sculpted features that caught Susan’s eye in 1960. Rick competed in rowing, later coached crew teams, and ultimately became president of the New Rochelle Rowing Club.

One of Rick’s greatest passions was his love for trains. He was a wealth of knowledge on the subject and his two-car garage was the home of his incredible Lionel train layout. It proved to be a wonderful source of pleasure for Rick and one which he loved sharing with his sons, daughters, and grandchildren.

To say that Rick was handy would be the understatement of the twentieth and twenty-first century. In his home, he took on any project including putting an addition on his house and building his own built-in swimming pool. He loved yard work and being outside in his yard was his oasis.

Above all else, there was nothing more important to Rick than his family. He was happiest when family was gathered, swimming in the pool, running his trains, and being together on the big holidays. For the past twenty-four years, he and Sue visited Aruba twice a year and, for their fiftieth wedding anniversary, they invited the whole family to join them to witness the renewing of their wedding vows in a ceremony on the beach. They had such a wonderful time so, a year later, they all returned to Aruba. Remember the honeymoon in Pennsylvania? Well, during their honeymoon, Rick and Sue spent a night at Ricks grandparent's home in Portage. To this day, they still visit their home in Portage. It was a great place where Rick loved tooling around on his two-seater Razor quad. More importantly, it became a haven in the country where all were invited.

Rick was a man of simple pleasures, like sitting under the stars and gazing at the splendor of a full moon. He was a man of few words. For instance, when the kids would call, he’d talk briefly and then say, “here’s your mother.” When he had something to say, it was straight to the point and worth listening to. Rick was great at giving you directions to any destination. His directions included hand-drawn maps with phrases like “turn at the bushes” with actual bushes drawn on his map. He was a selfless man and generous beyond imagination. He will be missed for his demonstrations of love in action, his charming little quirks, and the countless ways he touched the lives of those he shared life with.  

Rick was the beloved husband of Susan (Hummel) Bauer, blessed in marriage for almost 60 years. Rick was the loving father of Patricia Keenan and husband James, Christine Pomante and husband Frank III, Richard J. Bauer, Jr. and wife Brianne, and Jeffrey Bauer and wife Brittany. He was the cherished grandfather to: Terrence Keenan, Allison Keenan, Andrew Keenan, Stephanie Pijanowski, and husband Daron, Heather Pomante, Daniel Bauer, Ryan Bauer, and Kyle Bauer and great-grandfather of Noah; dear brother of Stephen Bauer and wife Nina of Boynton Beach, Florida, John Bauer and wife Laurie of Greenwich, Connecticut, and Frank Bauer and wife Kathy of San Luis Obispo, California; and uncle to numerous nieces and nephews.

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Because of his love for children and trains, in lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Rick’s name are asked to consider:

Railroaders Memorial Museum

1200 Ninth Avenue

Altoona, PA 16602

https://www.railroadcity.org/projects    

Make sure to designate that your gift is in memory of Richard “Rick” Bauer.