Gerald or “Jerry” Hauer was Michael Hauer’s son. The younger Hauer served as president of Hauer Music Co., starting his career working at the store when it was located at 34 E. First St. when he was 12, cleaning showroom windows and repairing accordions, his obituary said.
The business today is in its 87th year, with the family’s fourth generation remaining involved. In 2014, the business moved from downtown Dayton on Patterson Boulevard to 528 Miamisburg-Centerville Road.
Jim Hauer, the company’s president today, said his grandfather, Michael, was the “music man” in the family.
“My dad was a little bit different breed,” Jim Hauer said. “He was absolutely wanting to expand the music store in a bigger way. But he was so much into the community, the downtown, I mean he loved being an organizer and he loved the community.”
“Yes, music was a huge part of it,” he added.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Gerald (Jerry) was born on April 18, 1933, in Dayton. He was preceded in death by his wife Norma, parents Michael and Ann (Servaites) and other relatives. His contributions to the Dayton area were “certainly vast and far-reaching,” Hauer’s obituary said.
Among those many roles: He served as board member of the Montgomery County Historical Society, a member of the board of directors of Muse Machine Inc., and Top Brass Foundation. From 1981 to 1991, he led an effort to keep the Children’s Parade as a highlight of Dayton’s Holiday Festival and was chairman of the Holiday Festival and Parade in 1992.
He was also was executive committee member for the Downtown Dayton Partnership and board member for Preservation Dayton from 1992 to 1995.
He also helped lead the Save Our Trolley initiative to put the Wright Flyer trolleys back on the streets in Dayton, his obituary said. He was also involved in efforts to save the Dayton State Hospital from demolition, a building which eventually transformed to the 10 Wilmington Place senior living community.
In addition, his obit said he invested hundreds of hours to save the Wright Brothers’ first bicycle shop, the Neon and Canal districts, the Save NCR’s Building 26 campaign, and many other preservation initiatives.
A viewing will be held at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at Routsong Funeral Home, 2100 E. Stroop Road. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Nov. 12 at Holy Angels Church, 1322 Brown St. Burial will directly follow at Calvary Cemetery, 1625 Calvary Ave.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that friends consider making a memorial contribution to the Gospel Mission, PO Box 1141, Dayton, OH 45401; the Five Rivers Metro Parks http://www.metroparks.org/donate; the Dayton History Center, Carillon Historical Park https://www.daytonhistory.org/support/donate, or your favorite Dayton charity.
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