Michele Theodora Lauter

Michele Theodora Heizmann Lauter, 73, of Reading, passed away in her Centre Park residence in the early morning hours of March 13, 2026.

She was the devoted wife of Michael E. Lauter, with whom she shared a loving marriage that began on October 2, 1976. Born on May 6, 1952, to the late Richard E. Heizmann Sr. and Simone M. (Mothu) Heizmann, Michele took great pride in her French maternal heritage. A graduate of Central Catholic High School in 1970, she earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Kutztown University in 1974. She joined the family business, Penncraft Enterprises, founded by her father in 1954, and became its owner in 2005, guiding the company with dedication until her passing.

Michele and Michael made their home in a beautiful Centre Park residence for their entire married life. She was a warm and generous neighbor, beloved for hosting lively, sometimes themed parties and for welcoming friends and family to her front porch during the city’s Memorial Day and Labor Day parades. Her home, filled with collectibles and original artwork reflecting the couple’s shared appreciation for creativity, was often the setting for superb meals served on fine china, silver, linen, and crystal, fostering rich conversation and storytelling late into the evening.

Deeply committed to her community, Michele served on the Reading Redevelopment Authority from 1998 to 2013, including as president from 2001 to 2010. She was also a former president of the Centre Park Historic District board and served multiple terms as a trustee for the Historical Society of Berks County, now the Berks History Center. An avid reader of mysteries, she was known for her distinctive sense of style, her fondness for hats, and her spirited expression “pooff!”

In addition to her husband Michael, she is survived by her brothers Richard E. Heizmann Jr., Peter J. Heizmann and his wife Sharon, David L. Heizmann, and Timothy R. Heizmann and his wife Rori; her sister Stephanie J. Vittoria; sisters-in-law Cindy Heizmann and Lorena Cheka; a niece, five nephews, and many Heizmann and Lauter cousins. She was predeceased by her parents and by brothers Thomas M. Heizmann and Robert L. Heizmann, as well as brother-in-law Anthony N. Vittoria.

Michele will be fondly remembered by her Centre Park neighbors, her friends on her BARTA bus routes, and for the warm, heartfelt hugs she offered to those she knew and loved, and even to strangers who received them with smiles.