Eugene "Gene" H. Bauer

Eugene H. Bauer 'The consummate New Jersey banker' Nov. 4, 1941 - May 1, 2017 New Jersey lost one of its commercial banking luminaries when Eugene H. Bauer of Jupiter, Fla., and formerly of Madison, N.J., passed away peacefully at age 75 on May 1, 2017. From 1980-1996, Gene served as chief executive officer of United Counties Trust Company, a top-performing bank with 36 offices throughout Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Somerset, and Union Counties. Born Eugene Hall Bauer on Nov. 4, 1941, he was the oldest of Mary and Raymond Bauer's three children. He graduated from Westfield High School and completed a post-graduate program at the Tilton School before earning a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Bucknell University and an M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College. In June 1965, Gene married his Bucknell classmate Phebe Wieland, in one of the first weddings to be held in Rooke Chapel on Bucknell's campus. Their union would endure for more than 51 years and produce two sons, Christopher and Stephen. In 1967, Gene joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a second lieutenant. He received an Army Commendation Medal for serving as project engineer for the U.S. Mobility Equipment Command in St. Louis, Mo., with responsibility for providing critical equipment for the Vietnam War. Born into a banking family, Gene began his career in 1969 as an assistant treasurer at First National City Bank of New York. He joined Kenilworth State Bank as executive vice president and was promoted to president in 1978. In October 1980, Gene was named president and chief executive officer of United Counties Trust Company, extending the Bauer family's leadership of the bank to a third generation. His grandfather, George, served as president from 1934 to 1962 and his father, Raymond, held the same office from 1962 to 1980. Under Gene's leadership, United Counties set a standard of excellence in commercial banking. Ever the perfectionist, Gene led by example, working tirelessly to assemble a team of dedicated executives and employees, continuously improve the bank's branches and operations, and maintain underwriting discipline. His United Counties team provided outstanding customer service and regularly delivered industry-leading performance in operational efficiency, credit quality, and profitability. Gene and Phebe resided in Madison from 1969 to 2008 and were active members and deacons of the Presbyterian Church of Madison. Gene also belonged to the Madison Golf Club and Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield. Gene gave generously of his time as a leader in many professional, civic, and charitable organizations. He held leadership positions with the American Bankers Association, the New Jersey Bankers Association, the United Way, Union County College, and Rotary International. Gene was predeceased by his sister, Victoria Myers. He will be dearly missed by his wife, Phebe Bauer, of Jupiter, Fla.; son Christopher Bauer and his wife, Polly, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; son Stephen Bauer and his wife, Heidi, of Bethesda, Md.; sister Patricia Ruud and her husband, Paul, of Auburn, Calif., and by five grandchildren. Donations in Gene's memory may be made to the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, 1001 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter, Fla. 33477. A memorial service celebrating Gene's life will be held in Jupiter, Fla., in June.