John E Bauman Jr.

John E Bauman Jr., 81, of Columbia passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on Sunday, November 9, 2014. A Mass and visitation will be held on Thursday at 10 am and 9 am, respectively, at St. Thomas More Newman Center in Columbia.

John was born January 18, 1933 in Kalamazoo, Michigan to John and Theresa Bauman. His family later moved to Chicago, Illinois where he attended Leo Catholic High School and graduated as valedictorian. He attended the University of Michigan for undergraduate and graduate school and earned a PhD in Chemistry in 1962.

John came to Columbia in 1961 to serve as a professor of Chemistry at the University of Missouri. His special interests included calorimetry research, summer chemistry workshops for high school teachers and giving American Chemical Society lectures. Upon his retirement in 1997 he was named Professor Emeritus of Chemistry. Over the years, he served on numerous neighborhood and university committees and in a variety of leadership positions including Chair of Faculty Council and President of the MU Retirees Association.

He was a long-standing member of the Little Dixie Kiwanis and enjoyed playing the piano (especially ragtime), golf, chess, books, and hiking in Colorado. He kept a diary of every day for 70 years.

John is survived by his wife of 50 years, Barbara, and their three children: John William (and Donna) Bauman of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Catherine (and Michael) Lambert of Atlanta, Georgia, and Amy (and Andrew) Starr of Kansas City; eight grand-children: John Curry, Brooke, Jason and Bridget Bauman, James, Elizabeth and Molly Lambert, and Jeremy Starr; his brother Joe (and Joanie) Bauman of Lawrence, Kansas, his sister Linda (and John) Shumway of Camdenton, and his sister Mary (and Don) Yeats of Perth, Australia.

He is predeceased by his brother, Reverend William Bauman of Kansas City, and his parents.

Memorials can be made to the Department of Chemistry, Arts and Science Advancement Office, 110 Lowry Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211 in honor of John E Bauman.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.memorialfuneralhomeandcemetery.com.