Dad was born Donald Lee Bauer on September 28, 1941, to Clarence Adolph Bauer and Maxine Virginia (Wilson) Bauer, in Turlock, California. While Don was still a toddler the Bauer family, after having another child, Carol, moved to Placerville, where they grew up on Bedford Ave and attended school until his graduation from High School in 1959. There are many stories of his pranks and escapades with friends and hunting/fishing trips with is father during those years.
He attended Sacramento City College and graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering from California State University, Sacramento. During his college years he married Georgia, who had two young children Hal (4) and Teresa (2). While going to college, he worked to support a family, worked extra jobs like installing snow chains along highway 50 during snow storms in the Sierra Nevada mountains. During the week, his primary employment was at Aerojet doing research and design of solid and nuclear fueled rocket engines for defense and space exploration.
In 1971, Don went on to work for PG & E, for 24 years until his retirement in 1995. He designed and built nuclear and hydro power plants that provided power to hundreds of thousands of people for decades. In 1973, his son Justin was born in San Luis Obispo. Don and family lived in the central Ca area until 1996. After retirement he returned to El Dorado county and began a consulting career for another 10 plus years. Don was an inventor, where he patented 5 inventions along with designing and building countless others.
Up until 5 months ago, Don lived in his home in Pollock Pines. He continued to draw up plans for new inventions. He had almost every tool known to man in his garage even though his decreased mobility made it near impossible to use many of them. Everyone knew if you needed a tool, you could borrow it but likely it came with his recommendation on how to use it and how you were likely doing it wrong.
Don left behind a son Justin Bauer. Justin's wife Lisa Bauer, with children Chelsea, Andrew and Lyndsey; step son Harold Veerkamp and partner Jonathan Davis; step daughter Teresa Sumprer and her daughter Christina Sumprer.
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