William Henry Lauer
September 18, 1942 ~ May 5, 2015
William Henry Lauer, better known to friends and family as "Bill", "Dad," "Opie," "Billy," "Boss," "Billiam", and on occasion, "Papa Bear" by his more ridiculous children, died unexpectedly at his home in Oakton, Virginia, on May 5, 2015, at the age of 72.
He is survived by his wife, Rosemary Tran Lauer, of Oakton, VA; his children and their spouses, Andy and Jay Lauer of Vienna, VA, and Kim Lauer of Ashburn, VA, his step-children and their spouses, Bang & Tina Trinh, currently residing in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Anh Tran & Aaron Karty of Alexandria, VA, Elizabeth Tran & Denis Manevski, of Arlington, VA, and Kim Tran, of Arlington, VA; and his much-beloved grandchildren, Tyler, Joshua, and Audrey Lauer; Natasha, Evie, and Harvey Trinh; Anais, Estelle, and Jacob Joubert. He is preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy Bolton, his father, Edward Lauer, and his brother, Eddie Lauer, as well as his son, Brian Lauer.
Bill was born on September 18, 1942, in Washington, DC. A life-long resident of the DC metropolitan area, he grew up in Silver Spring, MD, before briefly attending the University of Maryland at College Park and starting his own successful business away from school. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard reserve during the Vietnam War, forming friendships he treasured for the rest of his life.
After successful careers with The Yeonas Companies and Gulf Reston, Bill founded Tetra Partnerships as a development firm in 1978, further working to shape the region he so knew and loved through buildings, master plans, and work on behalf of industry organizations for which he will be remembered and missed. He served in many leadership positions, including as President and Life Director of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA) and past President and Life Director of the NVBIA Sales & Marketing Council. Bill was a Charter member of the Board of Directors for the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance (NVTA), and was serving on the Executive Committee at the time of his passing. He had also previously been awarded the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) Man of the Year; and was one of its Past-Presidents and Directors, in addition to his involvement in many other organizations.
Bill was intently focused on advocating for those who were less fortunate than he and his family, and would have regarded the philanthropic work he did as among his proudest achievements. He worked on behalf of NVBIA Outreach, the Lions Club, Joe Gibbs Home, Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity, Alternative House, Home Aid, and Devotion to Children. He was a proud member of the Affordable Housing Task Force, and a previous board member of Cornerstones/Reston Interfaith.
Bill was an avid lover of fast cars, sunny days biking at Rehoboth Beach, good chardonnay, ice-cold straight-up Ketel martinis with absolutely no vermouth in them and filled to the brim, and terrible crime shows and action movies. He loved unconditionally, as a father, as a friend, and to anyone in need of help. Bill took great joy in connecting people together, and knowing that he had helped make someone's life better. He was infamous for always communicating in ALL CAPS, whether it was a hand-written note or a professional email, and famous for his sincere interest in every person he met. He will be so very, very missed by all his family and friends, who all wish they could spend just one more very early morning at Cars and Coffee with him.
Funeral arrangements are being made through Money and King Funeral Home at 171 Maple Avenue West, Vienna, VA. A public funeral service is scheduled for 11:30 AM on Friday, May 15, 2015, at St. Mark Catholic Church at 9970 Vale Road in Vienna, VA, with a reception to follow. The Reverend Patrick Holroyd will officiate the service, and all are welcome to attend to celebrate Bill's life and the impact he had on his community. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Devotion to Children (www.devotiontochildren.org) in Bill's honor.
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
He is survived by his wife, Rosemary Tran Lauer, of Oakton, VA; his children and their spouses, Andy and Jay Lauer of Vienna, VA, and Kim Lauer of Ashburn, VA, his step-children and their spouses, Bang & Tina Trinh, currently residing in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Anh Tran & Aaron Karty of Alexandria, VA, Elizabeth Tran & Denis Manevski, of Arlington, VA, and Kim Tran, of Arlington, VA; and his much-beloved grandchildren, Tyler, Joshua, and Audrey Lauer; Natasha, Evie, and Harvey Trinh; Anais, Estelle, and Jacob Joubert. He is preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy Bolton, his father, Edward Lauer, and his brother, Eddie Lauer, as well as his son, Brian Lauer.
Bill was born on September 18, 1942, in Washington, DC. A life-long resident of the DC metropolitan area, he grew up in Silver Spring, MD, before briefly attending the University of Maryland at College Park and starting his own successful business away from school. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard reserve during the Vietnam War, forming friendships he treasured for the rest of his life.
After successful careers with The Yeonas Companies and Gulf Reston, Bill founded Tetra Partnerships as a development firm in 1978, further working to shape the region he so knew and loved through buildings, master plans, and work on behalf of industry organizations for which he will be remembered and missed. He served in many leadership positions, including as President and Life Director of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA) and past President and Life Director of the NVBIA Sales & Marketing Council. Bill was a Charter member of the Board of Directors for the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance (NVTA), and was serving on the Executive Committee at the time of his passing. He had also previously been awarded the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) Man of the Year; and was one of its Past-Presidents and Directors, in addition to his involvement in many other organizations.
Bill was intently focused on advocating for those who were less fortunate than he and his family, and would have regarded the philanthropic work he did as among his proudest achievements. He worked on behalf of NVBIA Outreach, the Lions Club, Joe Gibbs Home, Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity, Alternative House, Home Aid, and Devotion to Children. He was a proud member of the Affordable Housing Task Force, and a previous board member of Cornerstones/Reston Interfaith.
Bill was an avid lover of fast cars, sunny days biking at Rehoboth Beach, good chardonnay, ice-cold straight-up Ketel martinis with absolutely no vermouth in them and filled to the brim, and terrible crime shows and action movies. He loved unconditionally, as a father, as a friend, and to anyone in need of help. Bill took great joy in connecting people together, and knowing that he had helped make someone's life better. He was infamous for always communicating in ALL CAPS, whether it was a hand-written note or a professional email, and famous for his sincere interest in every person he met. He will be so very, very missed by all his family and friends, who all wish they could spend just one more very early morning at Cars and Coffee with him.
Funeral arrangements are being made through Money and King Funeral Home at 171 Maple Avenue West, Vienna, VA. A public funeral service is scheduled for 11:30 AM on Friday, May 15, 2015, at St. Mark Catholic Church at 9970 Vale Road in Vienna, VA, with a reception to follow. The Reverend Patrick Holroyd will officiate the service, and all are welcome to attend to celebrate Bill's life and the impact he had on his community. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Devotion to Children (www.devotiontochildren.org) in Bill's honor.
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
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Philip and I send our deepest sympathy to Rosemary and the entire family. Bill was a wonderful guy and a highly accomplished and respected professional. He will be greatly missed.