Obituary of Mathias Baumgartner

BAUMGARTNER, Mathias

81 years. Passed away peacefully surrounded by family on April 30, 2022. Loving father of Erik Baumgartner, Mark Baumgartner, and Elly (Darren) Takaki. Devoted and indulgent Opa of Nicklas, Aleksander, and Lukas. Dear brother of Ernst (Erna) Baumgartner, and beloved uncle to four nieces, Rosalie, Emilie, Beverlie, and Kimberlie. Mathias was born on March 23, 1941, in Vinkovci, Yugoslavia (now Croatia). He came to Canada in 1949 at the age of eight. After receiving a degree in chemical engineering from Wayne State University, he worked for a chemical company before earning his teaching degree, then taught mathematics at Harrow District High School and later St. Clair College. In the early 1980s, Mathias left teaching to work at the Windsor Essex County Development Commission. Over the course of his business career, he brought several automotive supply companies to the Windsor-Essex area, creating hundreds of local jobs. After opening manufacturing companies in Mexico, he lived in Del Rio, Texas for twelve years, but made frequent trips to Canada to see his children and grandchildren. Mathias was an active member of the Teutonia Club, helping raise thousands of dollars for Hospice Windsor over the years. In his retirement, he bought farmland and planted thousands of trees with the help of ERCA, a fitting legacy for a surname that means "tree gardener." Visitation at Gerald A. Smith Funeral Home, 197 King St. W. Harrow on Saturday May 7, 2022 from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.Memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or Hospice Windsor.

Psalm 103: 15-16

As for man, his days are as grass: they flourish like a flower of the field.The wind blows over it, and it is gone; and its place remembers it no more.

You may send your online condolences to www.geraldasmith.ca