Rudolf Wilhelm Bauer

Rudolf (Rudy) Wilhelm Bauer, a longtime resident of Livermore and resident of Rossmoor and retired Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLNL) physicist, died June 11 following a difficult struggle with end stage Parkinson’s disease. He was 87.

Bauer was born in Oestheim, a small village in Bavaria, Germany on Nov. 28, 1928.  He had to take a train to school located in the famous medieval walled city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. He graduated top of his class and was offered a scholarship to study in the United States at Amherst College. Bauer said “yes” to this life changing opportunity and completed college in three years in 1952. He returned to Germany to study physics at the University of Bonn, obtaining a master’s degree in physics.

He met his future wife, Margret, at the American Embassy swimming pool there, where Margaret was a swimming and water safety instructor and he was a clerk accountant. Bauer saw that the U.S. was a hub of physics, a country of optimism and opportunity and wanted to return there to study, research and teach. He did and earned a Ph.D. in nuclear physics in 1959 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He was a professor of physics at MIT until 1965. He was then recruited to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to contribute to experimental physics programs, which were fervently taking place during the height of the Cold War. Bauer enjoyed working at LLNL (more than 35 years) and was involved in mentoring graduate students and colleagues, writing numerous scientific papers and presenting at conferences. “He was the best boss I ever had,” exclaimed one of his former co-workers.  

Bauer is survived by his three children, Peter Bauer of San Rafael, Dr. Andrew Bauer of Amarillo, Texas, and Barbara Bauer Carlson of Livermore; four grandchildren, Scholotte Gangl, Thomas Bauer, Melissa and Maria Carlson; and three great grandchildren, Ritter, Hazel and Charlotte Gangl. He also is survived by his sister Edith Roesler of Feucht, Germany. Bauer’s wife, Margret, preceded him in death in 2009.

A memorial service will be held at Hope Lutheran Church in Rossmoor, California on Saturday, July 30, at 11 a.m. in the Fireside Room, 1001 Golden Rain Road.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Bauer’s church, Hope Lutheran Church Endowment Fund, 399 Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek, CA  94598 or to the American Physical Society Education Department (that promotes physics education in the United States) c/o Tora Buttaro, donor relations manager, APS, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740.