Werner Karl Lau

Werner Karl Lau, age 98, of Glenview, passed away peacefully on March 16, 2025. He was loved by his family and is survived by his partner, Connie Carpenter; and children, Carlie Williams, Jon Williams, Penny Rose, Nancy Mitzen, Elizabeth Loera, James Lau, Kevin Underwood, Conrad Lau, and Rebecca Shiba and 16 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
He grew up in Wilmette and loved sailing on Lake Michigan. He graduated from New Trier High School and joined the Navy at age 17. Serving in WWII was the beginning of a life-long passion of aviation and WWII. He was great collector of WWII memorabilia of all branches of the service. He was the owner of Mobile Marine and the museum On Final Approach. He built the diorama of the Battle of Midway that is now an exhibit in Hangar 37 the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in Hawaii.
He was a gifted and creative craftsman and felt that creativity was a key component of self-confidence. He derived strength from hope, prayer and a positive attitude, often saying the secret to happiness was loving people. His sense of humor and light heartedness will long be remembered and missed by many.
Memorial service will be held on Saturday April 19, 2025, at 3:30 pm at The Glenview New Church, 74 Park Drive, Glenview, Illinois.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Glenview New Church, 74 Park Drive, Glenview, Illinois, 60025, or the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Development Department, 319 Lexington Blvd., Honolulu, HI, 96818