Lawrence Reuter

Preceded in death: Leroy Reuter, father

Anna (Sage) Reuter, mother

Thomas Reuter, brother

David Reuter, brother

Sharon (Jankowski) Reuter, Wife

Survivors: Anne Velasco, sister

Larry Reuter, son

Lawrence passed away peacefully with his son by his side. Special thanks to the staff at the University of Wisconsin Hospital neuro ICU and Heritage of Middleton memory care.

Education: He attended St. Mary's Springs Academy, Fond du Lac, WI. He was invited to enter the US Navy V-12 research program but instead choose to enroll at St. Louis University where he majored in classical languages, philosophy and educational psychology. He attended Catholic University in Washington D.C. in 1960-61 where he received his Master's in Social Work. Following graduation, he trained in psychiatry under a federal scholarship at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, a federal mental institution in Washington D.C.

Employment: He taught English, Latin, and speech at Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie du Chien, WI. Following a brief career with Catholic charities as a counselor and adoption specialist he joined the Marshfield Clinic. There he worked as a social worker and psychotherapist. In 1969 he took a position with the State of Wisconsin in the department of Health and Social Services. He worked 23 years in the department and made significant contributions to the integration of health and social services in the county delivery system. He was an active speech writer for the department administrators and supervised the regional offices of the division of community services until he retired in 1993.

Activities: He belonged to the Lions' Club and the Sierra Club. He was a perennial student and saw each day as a learning experience and each person he met as his mentor. He enjoyed woodworking, reading, writing, art, architecture, classical music, photography and technical devices. By his own admission he was a gourmet chef and a connoisseur of beer, which he relished as God's gift to the common man. He was also known for his famous margaritas, 'margaReuters'.

He believed in good humor and fun as essential to a sane life. He was rarely disappointed or unhappy and felt life treated him very kindly and enjoyed whatever came his way. He deeply appreciated his immediate and extended family, friends and neighbors. He was fascinated by people and never ceased to be amazed by the dramatics of human life. He had a special interest in the relationship of natural science and religion, which he believed were far more compatible than either were willing to concede. He was a very intelligent, kind, fun-loving man who will be dearly missed by many. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's association, act.alz.org, to help fight Alzheimer's and dementia.