Jack Lauber

Jack M. Lauber, age 90, died May 15, 2025, at his home in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Jack was born October 8, 1934, in Archbold, Ohio, to William Burke and Velma (Moore) Lauber. After graduating from Archbold High School in 1952 he spent four years in the U.S. Navy working mainly as a yeoman in Transport Squadron One at Patuxent River Naval Air Test Center in Maryland. Upon his discharge in 1957 he enrolled at Bowling Green State University in Ohio where he earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. He then transferred to the University of Iowa in 1960 where he taught modern Western Civilization for four years as he worked on his dissertation, 18th century Russian History from Peter the Great to Catherine the Great. While he taught Modern European history, his real love was Russian art and history.

While at Iowa Jack met his wife, Margaret (Peg) Carlson, and they were married on August 7, 1964. After spending three years as an instructor in the History Department at The Ohio State University, he completed his dissertation, receiving his doctorate in February, 1967. That summer he joined the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he taught for thirty years, retiring in May of 1997, also serving as Department Chair during the 1980s. Beginning in 1968, Jack was the campus director of the University of Wisconsin Soviet Seminar leading seven study seminars with approximately thirty students each spring on a historical tour of Russia with stops in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev, Volgograd (Stalingrad) and Baku, Azerbaijan as well as Warsaw, Poland and Prague, Czech Republic. In 1974 he spent the academic year widening his interests in East Asian history by working with Japanese specialist George Lensen at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Upon his return to Eau Claire, he taught Chinese and Japanese history and biography along with his Russian courses. Jack devoted his life to his family, his profession, his music, and his books.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years; son, Chad (Juliana), and daughter Valkyrie (Anja) of St. Paul, MN; and daughter, Megan (Michael) Savoie, and their children Kyle, Lauren, and Max of Humble, TX.

There will be a memorial service for family and friends this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made on the Humane Society of Eau Claire website (https://eccha.org).

Cremation Society of Wisconsin, Altoona is assisting the family. Online condolences may be shared at www.cremationsociety-wi.com.