Eugene W. Baer

Eugene W. Baer III, of Middletown, formerly of Lake Massasecum, NH, passed away on December 5, 2016. He was the husband of Catherine C. Casey. He was born July 4, 1922 in Glen Rock, NJ, the son of the late E. W. Baer Jr. and Dorothy Clauss.He lived in Allentown, PA where he enrolled in Lehigh University working nights at Bethlehem Steel Corporation to help finance his education.During World War II while in his third year of college, he was called to military service and served in the Navy for 2 1/2 years as an electronics technician. He had the distinction of assisting civilian scientists in the development of the BAT guided bomb. After the war Gene returned to Lehigh University and graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics. He then attended Brown University for graduate studies.His lifetime work and employment was at the Newport Naval Underwater Systems Center. He retired in 1985. Gene began his career in 1951 as an Electronic Engineer in the Research and Development Department, continued to become head of the Range Data Section, Test and Evaluation Department and later the Instrumentation and Measurements Branch, he was granted a Superior Achievement Award. Later he held appointments as Head of the Feasibility Branch, Head of the Submarine Fire Control Systems Section and Head of the Systems Application Branch. In 1961 he was reassigned to the Advance Study Group as a General Engineer and was involved in the areas of signal processing acoustics of targets and wire guidance. Gene was a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers the Acoustic Society of America, and Sigma Xi. He was a member of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, and participated in the Church Choir, as well as the Swanhurst Chorus. He was also a member of the North End Club. His main hobby is mountain climbing and hiking, a recreation in which his children also participate. Gene takes pride in the fact that his son when only 3 1/2 years of age climbed Mount Madison in New Hampshire (5,363 feet), and he was a member of the "4000' club" having summited all the 4000' mountains in New Hampshire.He is survived by three children, Cindy Baer and her husband Steve Haas of North Carolina, Gwen LaFave and her companion David Buzzell of New Hampshire, and GB Baer of Portsmouth, RI and five grandsons, Steven LaFave, Jesse Buzzell, Gunner Buzzell, Amos Haas and Ethan Haas. Calling hours will be held on Friday, December 9 from 9:30-10:30am at the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, RI. His funeral will be held on Friday, December 9 at 11:00am, in St. Marys Episcopal Church, 324 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI. Burial with military honors will follow in St. Marys Churchyard.Donations in his memory may be made to St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 324 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871. Cemetery Details St. Mary's Episcopal Churchyard 324 East Main Road Portsmouth, RI, 02871 Visitation DEC 9. 09:30 AM - 10:30 AM Memorial Funeral Home 375 Broadway Newport, RI, US, 02840 info@memorialfuneralhome.com http://www.memorialfuneralhome.com Service DEC 9. 11:00 AM St. Marys Episcopal Church East Main Road Portsmouth, RI, US, 02871