Lawrence Spanbauer

1942 - 2018

Oshkosh - Lawrence "Larry" Spanbauer passed away on Tuesday, September 4, 2018 at the age of 75 due to complications from heart failure. He was born in Oshkosh on November 1, 1942, the son of Lawrence "Barney" Spanbauer and Margaret Fretschel. On February 9, 1963 he married the former Carol Jean Ames. Larry was the embodiment of Oshkosh citizenship through his education, work and volunteerism.

Larry attended Sacred Heart Grade School, Oshkosh High School and the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh and was employed by Rockwell International for 36 years and then Curwood-Bemis part time for 14 years.

In 1976, he was appointed by President Gerald Ford to the United States Bicentennial Assay Commission and wrote two books dealing with the counterfeit aspect of United States coinage. He served six years on the Oshkosh Common Council and was also on the Oshkosh Museum Board and the Police and Fire Commission.

Larry was on the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Axle/Citizens First Credit Union for 25 years and was the Recording Secretary for UAW Local 291 - (Rockwell) for six years. He was part of the Carl Traeger School Referendum Committee, Chaired the East Side Firehouse Relocation Committee, was a member of the Lakeshore Golf Course Committee and Chaired the Oshkosh Gateway Committee.

After a heart attack in 1997, he was involved with the Mercy Hospital Fund Raising Committee. In both 1999 & 2002 he was Honorary Chairperson of the American Heart Walk for Oshkosh and in 2003 served as co-chair of the Oshkosh Sesquicentennial Committee. Since 2003 he has been the Chairperson of the Annual Oshkosh Antique Appraisal Show. He wrot two additional books: "Oshkosh Neighborhood Taverns And The People Who Ran Them" and "The Oshkosh Cigar Industry".

Larry is survived by his wife Carol, a daughter, Barb and son Paul (Michelle) all of Oshkosh and son, Jon (Allison Hahr) of Chicago, Ill, along with three grandchildren: Kaitlyn (Rob) Cummins of Oshkosh and Madeleine & Margaret Spanbauer of Chicago. He is further survived by two sisters: Faye (Tom) Gospodarek and June Wiechman of Oshhkosh and three brothers-in-law, John Mitchell of Hillsboro, WI, Ron (Sue) Ames of Oshkosh and Robert Ames of California. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister-in-law, Joan Ames-Mitchell.

Services for Larry will be held on Saturday September 8, 2018 at 7 p.m. at Konrad-Behlman Funeral Homes-Westside with Deacon Pat Gelhar officiating. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. until the time of the service on Saturday at the funeral home. Interment will be at Lake View Memorial Park.