Michael D. Lauer

Michael D. Lauer, 76, of Fort Wayne, died Wednesday May 22, 2024 at Stillwater Hospice Home. He was born in Fort Wayne on February 29, 1948, the son of (the late) William J. and Lucille (Freiburger) Lauer. Michael graduated from Central Catholic High School with the Class of '66 and afterwards he served his country proudly with the US Navy during the Vietnam Conflict. He was an accomplished scuba diver and operated a scuba lessons/dive boat charter in Florida and the Bahamas. Michael was a member of the Fort Wayne Fire Dept. for several years, where he assisted with diving, search & rescue. He also worked in the mortgage business until 2002, when he joined the staff at Homeland Security, working with the TSA at Fort Wayne International Airport until his retirement in 2016.
He was a member of Queen of Angels Catholic Church and was a charter member of the Fort Wayne Firefighters Museum Board. He loved being outdoors, saltwater fishing in the Bahamas and Florida, and freshwater fishing in many of the surrounding lakes in Indiana. He cherished the time spent with his family & friends, and especially enjoyed attending his young son's games and events as often as possible. He was a good husband, father and grandfather who will be greatly missed.
Michael is survived by Barbara (Vorich) Lauer, his wife of 34 years, and their son, Joshua (Autumn Spillers) Lauer; grandchildren, Kaitlyn Lauer, Haden Spillers and Damein Spillers and several nieces & nephews. In addition to his parents, Michael was also preceded in death by his sisters, Patricia McIntyre, Diana Compton and Kathy Burns.
Visitation is 5-7pm Tuesday May 28, 2024 at Divine Mercy Lake Avenue Funeral Home, 3500 Lake Ave. Visitation also from 9:30-10:30am Wednesday morning, May 29, 2024, in the funeral home, with Prayers at 10:30am. The Mass of Christian Resurrection follows at 11:00am Wednesday in Queen of Angels Catholic Church, 1500 W. State Blvd. Michael will receive military honors at Catholic Cemetery. The family's preferred memorials are St. Vincent de Paul Society of Fort Wayne, online at https://svdpsfw.org, or by mail to 1600 S. Calhoun St, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, or to Matthew 25 Health and Care, online at www.matthew25online.org/support-us, or by mail to 413 E. Jefferson Blvd. Fort Wayne, IN 46802. To share a remembrance of Michael or to offer condolences, please visit www.DivineMercyFuneralHome.com.
Donations
St. Vincent de Paul Society of Fort Wayne, online at https://svdpsfw.org, or by mail to 1600 S. Calhoun St, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, or to Matthew 25 Health and Care, online at www.matthew25online.org/support-us, or by mail to 413 E. Jefferson Blvd. Fort Wayne, IN 46802.