Lawrence D. Baeder II

Lawrence Donald Baeder II, 43, of Onalaska, WI, passed away on April 11, 2025, surrounded by family and friends, after a brief battle with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and life-threatening inflammatory syndrome. Larry was born May 20th, 1981 in Corvallis, Oregon, the son of Larry and Judy(Billock) Baeder and brother of Andrea Baeder.

Larry graduated from McFarland High School in 1999. He studied abroad in Norway with Rotary International for one year and then went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Film and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. He later earned his Master’s Degree from Texas A&M in Statistics.

Larry married Lauren Smith on October 22, 2011 at Pacific Oaks Vineyard Estates in Aptos, California. They met and bonded over their mutual passion for swimming while they were both coaching in the Bay Area. They have 3 children; Lawrence III (Trey), 11, William (Will), 9 and Aria (Ari), 6. His love for his wife and children was evident throughout his life. Larry and Lauren were passionate about being active on the water whether that be swimming, boating or paddle boarding. They also enjoyed going to the theater or the movies, and eating good food. Larry was passionate about helping his kids explore their world through their shared interests. He loved taking his kids camping, fishing and sharing his love for the outdoors with them. He was always eager to help his parents whether it was taking care of the house, hosting family events, or cooking big family meals.

Larry worked as a Data Scientist for Milliman. After more than a decade working as a professional swim coach, he worked hard to earn a Master’s Degree in Statistics and switch careers. He enjoyed the challenge of his new career and interacting with his colleagues. He loved trading big ideas and challenging those who reported to him to be the best they could be. His collaboration with co-workers even extended to sharing cooking ideas. 

Larry loved hunting, camping, hiking and jiu jitsu. Since moving to Wisconsin in 2020, Larry was able to more fully explore his hobbies. He bow hunted deer, and even convinced his friend to accompany him on an unguided elk hunt in Idaho. They also hiked portions of the Appalachian Trail two years in a row, completing more than 100 miles over those two trips. In the last two years, Larry developed a passion for jiu jitsu. It was here that he truly began to make local friends and bond over their shared passion. He would often go early to class in order to help his boys focus and be successful, while also striving to keep class fun.

Larry was passionate about allowing his children to be who they wanted to be. He strove to foster Trey’s passion for science and geology through camping trips and rock hounding. He fostered Will’s active imagination and passion for art by asking what would happen in the worlds Will would create and sitting down and drawing with him. He worked hard to allow Ari to explore her creativity by coloring with her and helping her paint.

Larry was an avid reader. He loved discussing ideas that he read or heard in a podcast, and would often engage in debate to hear the ideas and thoughts of others. He passed this passion on to his children; who love to be read to and to read on their own. He was always striving to be healthier, smarter and just generally better. Larry would also challenge those around him to be the best version of themselves, often admonishing that “it’s not about the destination, but the journey.”

Larry is survived by his wife, Lauren; his children, Trey, Will and Ari; his parents, Larry and Judy Baeder; his sister Andrea Baeder; his In Laws, Nancy and Gordy Smith, his brother and sister in law Matt Smith and Claudia Borgelt; and their daughters Christine and Sophia Smith. He is preceded in death by his grandparents; Don and Rosie Baeder and Frank and Claire Billock.

The Celebration of Life will be held July 5th at 1:00 PM at his parents’ house in La Crescent, MN. There will be a short service followed by a reception.

Memorial donations in Larry’s memory may be directed to HLH Heroes