Tom Bauer

April 12, 1938 - August 19, 2026

Thomas Bauer, 88, was originally of Los Angeles, and a longtime resident of Morro Bay. He was born to Harold Bauer and Dorothy Holliday Bauer. His younger brother, Larry Bauer '59, passed away in 2018. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Joyce Bauer; his daughters Seira De la Croix, Stephanie Hart and her wife Amy, and Jennifer Bouzaid and her husband Max; one grandson and one great-granddaughter; and several cousins and extended family members.

Tom attended South Pasadena High School (Class of 1956) and Occidental College (Class of 1960), where he studied Speech. From 1962 - 67, he served in the US Army Reserves and was stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. Tom was an exceptional and beloved teacher of speech, drama, English, history, and social studies at Lake Center Middle School in Santa Fe Springs, California, where he also coached basketball. In 2000, he was recognized as Santa Fe Springs Citizen of the Year and received US Congressional Recognition for Excellence in Education; he was also runner-up for the statewide California Teacher of the Year Award. He had fond memories of bringing groups of students to Washington, D.C. each summer, as an educational immersion experience. Another of Tom's passions was serving as Co-Organizer and Director of the Santa Fe Springs Community Theater for several years, along with Tom Hut. Many of the students and community actors he mentored remember him with great fondness and admiration.

Tom was known not only for his love for theater, teaching, and creative writing, but also for his intellect, his sense of humor, his phenomenal cooking skills and love of good wine and cuisine. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He and Joyce volunteered for the Marine Mammal Center for 15 years, rescuing sea otters, sea lions, and other wildlife.

Tom will be dearly missed.

San Luis Obispo County Tribune, September 8, 2026