George Varick Lauder, 88, of Washington, D.C. and South Bristol, a retired Director of Public Affairs of the Central Intelligence Agency, died of natural causes in Washington, D.C., on July 25.
Mr. Lauder was born in New York City on March 2, 1924. He graduated from Yale University in 1947 as a member of the class of 1945, which was composed of students whose education had been interrupted by military service during WWII. Mr. Lauder graduated from the University of Virginia Law School in 1950. He was an officer in the U.S. Navy in WWII and served as a navigator on seaplanes and an aircraft carrier.
Mr. Lauder joined the Central Intelligence Agency in 1951 and served as an operations officer and senior official in Washington, D.C., as well as in several posts abroad and as the CIA’s Deputy Inspector General. He retired from the agency in 1987, after having been its Director of Public Affairs for nearly four years. He received the CIA’s Distinguished Intelligence Medal, Medal of Merit, and other awards of distinction.
At the time of his death Mr. Lauder had homes in Washington, D.C., and South Bristol. He was the great-great grandson of George Lauder, originally of Dunfermline, Scotland, then of Pittsburgh, Penn., and Greenwich, Conn. Mr. Lauder was a member of the Chevy Chase and Metropolitan Clubs in Washington, the Christmas Cove Improvement Association in Maine, the Society of the Cincinnati, and the Founders and Patriots of America. He was an avid sailor, and loved being on the water in coastal Maine. His interest in American history and genealogy continued throughout his life, and he was particularly proud of his service in the U. S. Navy during WWII.
Mr. Lauder is survived by his wife of 62 years, Laurita B. Lauder of Washington, D.C., and South Bristol; son, Dr. George V. Lauder Jr. of Lexington, Mass.; daughters, Frederica R. Lauder and Leigh B. Lauder of New York City; brother, Winston Lauder of Essex, Conn.; and granddaughter, Katherine R. Lauder of Louisville, Col.
A memorial service will be held in the fall.