Wolfgang “Wolf” Bauer

86, Former Bernardsville Resident, Devoted Husband, Proud Father, Avid Skier and Biker

Wolfgang “Wolf” Bauer passed peacefully in the early evening on Friday, October 6, 2023, at his home.  Wolf and his wife Carla had raised their family in Morristown and Bernardsville, NJ and had recently moved to Fellowship Village, Basking Ridge, NJ.

Wolf was born in Stuttgart, Germany to Alfred and Lene (Hemminger) Bauer on May 18, 1937.  He came to the US with his family in 1948 and lived in Midland, MI for 3 years until 1951 when the family moved to Toledo, Ohio.  He attended Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland, Ohio where he earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering (ME).  It is also where he met his wife, Carla, who was attending the nearby St. Luke’s School of Nursing.  They both graduated in 1959, got married, and moved to Morristown, NJ where he was employed by Bell Laboratories in Whippany.  He went on to earn his Master’s  in ME from New York University.  They later settled in Bernardsville where their four children were all graduates of Bernards High School.

While employed with Bell Labs, Wolf worked on the Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense System (Safeguard) for the US Army.  He told many interesting stories of the tests they did in Kwajalein, at one time relating them to playing the 1970s video game, Space Invaders.  In the 1980s, then working for AT&T, Wolf had the opportunity to shift his career into computer software development where he once again worked on projects for the US government.  In his final career shift, Wolf joined the UNIX System Laboratory (USL)  and through a series of acquisitions, finally retired from SCO as VP, Engineering in 2004.

In addition to his technical savvy, Wolf was a family man and devoted husband and father.  He was a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Morristown (in the building that is known more recently as the Abbey) and was actively engaged in the finance and property committees.  He instilled in his children a love of nature and outdoor sports, including swimming, biking, hiking, and skiing.  As a life-long skier, he not only skied, but raced into his 80s, consistently qualifying  for NASTAR’s national championships.  He was known for his skiing style and infamous pink racing suit.  His skiing enthusiasm and prowess, and a fair amount of his competitive spirit, has been passed down to his children and grandchildren.

Wolf is survived by his wife Carla (Nagy) Bauer; four children, Elizabeth “Lisa” (Kirk) Beaty, Christopher (Joann) Bauer, Patricia “Patty” (Steve) Barnes, Cynthia (Michael) Espinosa; 8 grandchildren, Kimberly Beaty, Kelsey (Charlie) Palmer, Karen Beaty, and Katherine Beaty, Danielle and Michael Barnes, Andrew and Aiden Espinosa; and 1 great-grandchild expected to arrive in early November.  A sister, Rose (Robert) Wagner survives Wolf.  A brother, Hans “Peter” Bauer, preceded him in death on February 11, 2022.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, October 18th at Layton Funeral Home (laytonfh.com), 475 Main Street, Bedminster , NJ at 3:00pm.  The viewing will be from 2:00pm to 3:00pm followed by the service.  A reception from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at Top O’Th’ Hill Tavern, 1182 US 202 N, Bridgewater, NJ will immediately follow the service.  A celebration of life is also being planned for a later date.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Adaptive Sports Foundation (adaptivesportsfoundation.org) or the Amazing Grace Lutheran Church (www.amazinggracefp.org).