Plan for the Future
Michele Marie Bauer, 50, of Mechanicsville, MD, died on April 16, 2015, at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Born in New Jersey, Michele was born on January 17, 1965, in Irvington, NJ, and grew up in Maplewood before moving to Short Hills in fifth grade. While in high school she met the love of her life, Tim Bauer. After graduating from Millburn High School she studied aerospace and ocean engineering at Virginia Tech where she graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in May 1987. Upon graduating from Virginia Tech, Michele married Tim and moved to Maryland where she began working at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station as an aviation logistics engineer.
After her sons, Nicholas and Brett, were born she decided that she wanted to be an elementary school teacher and took classes for her teaching certification while she took care of her sons. Michele was a very proud mother of her sons and the men they grew into. Michele enjoyed working with her young students during her second career as a grade school teacher at Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary school located a convenient 4 miles from home. She was proud of her students’ accomplishments and went on to get her Master of Education degree from Towson University.
Much of Michele’s free time during Nicholas and Brett’s school years was spent cheering her sons on at soccer games and driving them to practices. It was watching her sons play soccer that developed her love of all sports and in particular the New York Giants and Baltimore Orioles. She always tried to attend at least one game every year, even braving the cold New Jersey December weather to sit outside and cheer on the Giants.
Michele’s childhood summers were spent enjoying Lake Hopatcong in northwest New Jersey. She continued to return several times a year to visit and enjoy the beauty and share the fun of the lake with her own family.
As empty nesters, Michele and Tim began spending more free time traveling once a year. Despite her dislike of flying, Michele loved to travel to tropical islands where she could enjoy the water and warm weather. She was fascinated with the island animals, especially the lizards. She would bring back stories and pictures of her adventures to share with her family and students.
Michele is survived by her husband Tim, son Nicholas and his wife Heather, son Brett and his wife Lauren, as well as by her father Ken Trumpore and his wife Carol, sister Christine Gebele, brother Mark Trumpore, and many loving nieces and nephews.
A visitation will be 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, at Wm. A. Bradley & Son Funeral Home, 345 Main Street, Chatham, NJ 07928. A funeral service will be 11:30 a.m. in the funeral home. An internment will follow next to her mother at Hollywood Memorial Park in Union, NJ. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2015, at 1:00 pm at All Faith Episcopal Church in Mechanicsville, MD.