- Date Of Birth: June 5, 1923
- Date Of Death: March 29, 2007
- State: Michigan
Frederick “Joe” Mayer, Sr, 83, of Sawyer, Michigan, died Thursday, March 29, 2007 surrounded by his family. Joe was born June 5, 1923 in Benton Harbor, Michigan to Mathias and Sara (Woodruff) Mayer. After graduating from St. John High School, he attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
He served his country in the U.S. Navy during WWII, but was sent home after just one day because his tonsils needed to be removed, and it was at this time that he was diagnosed with polio. Despite his struggle with polio, Joe loved life and new challenges. On January 24, 1947, he married Laverne Privett in St. Joseph, Michigan.
Joe and Laverne moved to California briefly before coming back to Michigan where Joe was a partner in the Mayer/ Klann/ Linabury Advertising Agency in Benton Harbor for many years and retired from the Michigan Employment Security Commission in 1984. It was after his retirement that Joe and Laverne made their home in Sawyer. Joe was very involved with the Boy Scout Organization in Benton Harbor while his children were young. He enjoyed fishing and reading.
He loved to spend time visiting and telling stories. Joe was a member of St. Agnes Church in Sawyer, and as he continued to grow in his faith, he became an Oblate Monk of Saint Benedict at Saint Meinrad Arch Abbey in southern Indiana in January of this year. Joe is survived by his wife, Laverne; children, Sara (Bill Lawrence) Mayer, Madison, Wisconsin; Susan (Brooks Zeitlin) Mayer-Zeitlin of Encino, California; Frederick J. “Rick” Mayer, Jr. of Soquel, California and Robert (Pamela) Mayer of Mattawan, Michigan; grandchildren, Maureen Ruhl, Elizabeth Ruhl, Kim Joseph (Denise) Ruhl, Matthew Ruhl, Lauren Mayer and Tyler Mayer; and his great grandchildren, Brian Skorupa, Ashley Skorupa, Benjamin Ruhl and Amber Bel Ender.
