Rick Lauer

Richard W. "Rick" Lauer, age 75, of West, formerly of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, passed away early Thursday morning, January 5, 2023 at West Rest Haven.

Memorial visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at Aderhold Funeral Home Chapel in West. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 21, 2023 at Paragon Baptist Church in Rio Rancho, NM (see address below) with Matt Sellers officiating.

Rick was born May 18, 1947 in Michigan City, IN, the son of Eugene and Dorothy (Burns) Lauer. He was a 1965 graduate of Parkside High School in Jackson, MI, and earned his Machinist Apprenticeship from Jackson Community College in 1969. On April 17, 1982 he was united in marriage to Laurie Smith in Lebanon, OH. Rick was a member of the First Baptist Church of West. He worked as a Machinist for the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico for 24 years before retiring in 2007. While there, Rick was a member of the LaCueva Volunteer Fire Department, a Deputy Marshal at the Jemez Springs Marshal's office, an Associate Pastor at Jemez Pueblo Baptist Church, a Chaplain at the Rio Rancho Police Department, and a member of the New Mexico Baptist Disaster Relief Team. He enjoyed fishing and hunting, and loved spending time with his family.

Rick is preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Allen Lauer.

Survivors include his beloved wife of 40 years, Laurie Lauer of West; his children, Gerald Lauer and wife Diane of Longmont, CO, and Julie Lauer of Deltona, FL; his grandchildren, Aaron Lauer and wife Sarah and Alexander Maier and wife Monica; great-grandchildren, Jace Szurek, Mylie Wheeler, MacKenzie Lauer, Maverick Lauer, Ava Maier, and Vivian Maier; a sister-in-law, Lori Lauer; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of West Children's Fund, 501 N. Marable St., West, TX 76691 or Paragon Church in Rio Rancho, NM, 103 Rio Rancho Drive NE - Bldg D, Rio Rancho, NM 87124.