Carl Mayer (1921- 2010) Decorated WWII Navy Pilot, Engineer

Carl F. Mayer Jr. of Rocky River, OH died at home Wednesday, December 01, 2010 at the age of 89.  Born in Lakewood, he attended Ohio State University.  During WWII he joined the U.S. Navy and attended flight school in Pensacola, FL and later, in 1943, joined the first bomber squadron on the U.S.S Intrepid.  He flew numerous missions in the South Pacific including one where he strafed and blew up a Japanese ship.  His plane was damaged so badly from the explosion that when he got back to his carrier they had to dump it overboard.  He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and attained the rank of Navy Commander.  Returning from the Pacific, he was stationed in Atlantic City spending weekends in New York City dating Powers Agency model and Cleveland native, Mary Lou Rohan and socializing with Howard Hughes and company.  They married after the war and returned to Cleveland where they had two children and he went to work with his father at the Carl Mayer Corp.  He took over the business in 1956 and made the company an industry leader in the design and installation of foundry oven and heat treating equipment.  Notable friends and native Clevelanders included, George Steinbrenner (New York Yankees) and Dick and Dave Jacobs (Cleveland Indians).  An avid golfer, he was a life-member at Westwood Country Club as well as a member of The Hermit Club, The Rotary Club and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).  Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 15120, Chicago, IL 60693, or WWII Veterans Memorial, c/o National Mall and Memorial Parks, 900 Ohio Drive SW, Washington, DC. 20024.  He is survived by his beloved wife of thirty-two years, Linda, daughter, Melissa (Bangasser) of Vashon, WA, son, Carl III (Bud) of Niagara Falls, NY and two grandchildren, Carl Joseph Mayer of Rochester, NY and Lauren Bangasser of Vashon.  Funeral services were held at the funeral home on Thursday, December 9, at 11:00am followed by entombment with military honor guard at Lakewood Park Cemetery and lunch at Westwood Country Club.

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