Obituary of John Carver Bayer

John Carver Bayer, 87, of Creamery Brook Retirement Village in Brooklyn, CT died at home on Monday, August 23, 2010. He was born on June 13, 1923 to John Otto and Doris Carver Bayer in Putnam, CT. He graduated from Bartlett High School in Webster, MA and Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA with B.S. in Chemical Engineering. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the Naval Research Laboratory in Anacostia, Washington, D.C. and the Manhattan Project at the Philadelphia, PA Naval Yard. He was married in 1945 to the former Barbara Kindler of Webster, MA. She predeceased her husband in 2004. They lived in Dudley, MA, Oxford, MA and then for many years in Thompson, CT. They moved to Creamery Brook Retirement Community in Brooklyn, CT in 2002. After World War II he returned to Worcester Polytechnic Institute to teach Physics and attain his Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. Upon leaving WPI he took a position in research at the Proctor and Gamble Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1949 John returned to Webster, MA to assume the management of Bayer Motors which had been established by his father. The firm was a franchised dealer of Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, American Motors and Tucker automobiles and, also, White and International Trucks. In addition, the company sold and serviced speed boats. John and his brother, David Bayer, shared ownership of the firm until John's retirement in 1990. John was active in the Webster/Dudley/Oxford Chamber of Commerce and was elected their Member of the Year and presented with a Life Membership in 1985. He was a founding member of the Webster/Dudley United Way and a Past President of the Webster/Dudley Rotary Club. He was a long time Corporator of the Webster Five Cent Savings Bank. In Thompson, CT he taught Sunday School and held many offices in the Congregational Church. He was active in the Thompson Historical Society, was President of the Village Improvement Society, served as a Director of the Thompson Library and as Commissioner of the Water Pollution Control Authority. He was a member of the Thompson Board of Education and served as its President for a number of years. He was a member of the Woodstock Players for many years and performed numerous times in their productions. His wife, Barbara, was a founder of TEEG, a Christian based social services organization, and John and Barbara both served that group as directors for many years. In 2005 he became a member of the First Congregational Church of Canterbury, CT and subsequently served there as a member of the Board of Deacons. John is survived by his wife, the former Ruth Davis Blakney of Brooklyn, whom he married in 2005. He is also survived by his daughter, Linda Kane of Norwich, CT and her son, Christopher Kane of Thompson, CT; his daughter and son-in-law, Pamela and Rev. Richard Duprey of Higgins Lake, MI and his son and daughter-in-law, John and Dr. Deborah Bayer and their son, Martin Bayer, of Egg Harbor City, NJ. He is also survived by two sisters, Joyce Boutwell of Corpus Christi, TX and Doris Lesher of Scituate, MA and two brothers, David Bayer of Worcester, MA and Alan Bayer of Fort Mill, SC. He also leaves six stepchildren: Joan Marshall of Lisbon, CT, Linda Bodenmann of Marshfield, MA, John Blakney of Centennial, CO, Nancy Gravina of Fair Haven, NJ, Susan Blakney of Snowmass, CO and Bruce Makosky of Bangkok, Thailand. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at the First Congregational Church of Canterbury located at 6 South Canterbury Road in Canterbury, CT at 1:30 P.M. on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 with reception to follow at Creamery Brook Retirement Village in Brooklyn. Burial will be private at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to either the Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group (TEEG) at P.O. Box 664, North Grosvenordale, CT 06254 or the First Congregational Church of Canterbury at P.O. Box 160, Canterbury, CT 06331. To share a memory with his family, "Light a Candle" at www.smithandwalkerfh.com