Henry Mark "Hank" Lauer

Henry Mark “Hank” Lauer, 81, passed away Thursday, April 6, 2017, after an extended battle with cancer. A memorial mass celebrating his life will be held Wednesday, April 12, at 4 p.m., at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Thomasville, and he will be interred at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Chicago. Born November 23, 1935, in Chicago, he was the son of Marsha Catherine Lauer Cowlin and Henry Michael Pacini. He attended Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Finance in 1957. He made his home in Chicago and wintered in Bonita Springs, Florida. Mr. Lauer was preceded in death by his first wife, the former Domicelle Kochan, in 2002. In 2005, he met Minnie W. “Mickie” Ivey of Thomasville during a trip to Italy, and they married in 2011. Over the years, the couple traveled extensively in the United States and around the world. Mr. Lauer became a resident of Thomasville and inherited a large family that, along with his wife, survives him. A devout Catholic all his life, he was a generous supporter of the churches he attended and significant philanthropic donor to a number of Catholic schools in the United States and Africa. His gifts also included many scholarships to allow children to attend Catholic schools. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Augustine Catholic Church, 211 N. Pinetree Blvd, Thomasville, Ga 31792 or Archbold Foundation Scholarship Fund, 910 S. Broad St, Thomasville, Ga 31792.