Michael John Maurer, 87, passed away on February 21, 2021. He was born on August 26, 1933, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to William and Veronica Maurer. Mike attended Saint Bernard’s Catholic Elementary School and Cretin High School. Both institutions cemented his love and devotion for his Catholic faith. After being drafted into the Army and serving in Europe during the Korean War, he returned home to marry his love, Marcie. He graduated from St. Thomas College in 1959, and began a successful career with IBM.
In 1965, with four young children and one on the way, he and Marcie took a leap of faith and moved to Dallas, Texas, to join a brand new company called Electronic Data Systems. Mike was the 29th employee in a company that would grow into a multi-billion dollar corporation.
Some thoughts from his dear friend and colleague Mort Meyerson sum up Mike’s time at EDS:
“On January 21, 1966, I met Mike Maurer for the first time. I was assigned to work on an EDS project he was leading.
He had a kind demeanor, but was large and rather intimidating. I soon learned he had a genuinely warm heart and soul.
Over time I discovered he was an All State football and baseball player from St. Paul, MN. He was very smart and I never saw him act aggressively or negatively toward anyone. He was an excellent leader and cared deeply about his team and the customer.
I worked for Mike for about a year. Later I was managing a project that had explosive growth. I went to Mike and asked him if he would consider working for me on the project. He agreed to work with me and for the next 20 years we worked together. There were times of despair and times of triumph. Mike was even-keeled through the storms of success and failure and was always there, reliable and dependable. He was the best manager I ever worked for and one of the greatest human beings I have ever known. He was powerful and kind; a very rare combination.
His powerful Catholic faith was deeply embedded in his soul. We would take midnight breaks when pulling all nighters talking about the similarities and differences between Judaism and Catholicism. Based on Mike's view and demeanor I could have been a good Catholic should I have had different parents.”
Mike retired from EDS in 1993.
He and Marcie shared 23 wonderful years together, before her death in 1978. He remarried, and spent 32 happy years with his wife Betty.
To say Mike loved sports was an understatement. He was the team captain of his grade school and high school football and baseball teams. His tour of duty in the Army included playing in the Army football and baseball leagues that toured Europe. Mike was honored to play with a number of great athletes, but even more honored to call those same grade school and high school athletes his friends until his final days. He also loved to golf and thoroughly enjoyed attending and “investing” in the horse races; especially in the summers, when he spent time at his home in Lake Tahoe.
Mike is survived by his sons, Tom and wife, Sandy, Bob and wife, Jodie, Jim and wife, Jodi; his daughters, Kathy Larson and husband, Dan and Jeanne Olson. He leaves behind many loving grandchildren, whom he cherished; and so many nieces and nephews, whom he loved like his own kids. He often said his favorite title was “Uncle Mike.”
Mike is preceded in death by his wife, Marcie; wife, Betty; son, John; brother, Bill; and his sisters, Joan and Catherine.
A funeral mass will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, March 5, 2021 at Saint Patrick Catholic Church, 9645 Ferndale Road in Dallas. Internment will follow at Calvary Hill Cemetery.
The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the entire staff at Teresa’s House, most especially to Godwin, Sarah and Tiffany.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to St. Mary’s Catholic School in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota; Catholic Charities; or the charity of your choice.
Mike was a class act; kind and exceedingly generous; fiercely devoted to his family, a devout Catholic, a dedicated mentor and a friend to all who knew him.
The service will be live-streamed at