Louis E. Schmidt
Louis E. Schmidt
OCEAN CITY — Louis E. Schmidt, a retired Assistant Attorney General who became Acting Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene and wrote the first Maryland state Medicare bill, died Oct. 27, 2013, of congestive heart failure surrounded by his family at Gilchrest Hospice Care. He was 87 and lived in Sparks, Md. and Ocean City.
The son of an architect and Maryland Institute faculty member and a homemaker, Mr. Schmidt was born in 1925. Following the death of his father and the stock market crash, his mother lost everything, and he and his sister were sent to live with different relatives. “This experience had a profound impact on his life,” said his daughter, Robin Higgins, “he was a very devoted father and loving husband, who truly understood the meaning of family.”
Mr. Schmidt, a native of Baltimore, was a 1943 graduate of Forest Park High School where he was a star athlete in lacrosse and track. After serving in the Air Force, he attended what is now Loyola University of Maryland on the GI Bill, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1948. While at Loyola, he also excelled in both track and lacrosse and worked as a model for Hutzler’s department store.
Following graduation, Mr. Schmidt became an investigator for the State of Maryland while attending the University of Baltimore Law School at night. In 1951, he earned a J.D. and began a career in law with the State of Maryland.
From 1950 to the late 1970s, he served in a number of capacities, including General Counsel for the Department of Health, Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Acting Secretary from 1970 through 1972. He retired from the state and started his own law practice in 1979.
Mr. Schmidt was President of the Father’s Club at Loyola Blakefield from 1966 through 1968 and served as President of the Alumni Association at what is now Loyola University of Maryland in the early 1960s. “Lou Schmidt was a great listener and get-it-done kind of a guy,” said Richard Schmidt, S.J., a former administrator at Loyola Blakefield. “He did such a wonderful job that the members of the Father’s Club asked him to serve two terms as President.”
In 1980, he and his first wife of 46 years, the late Angela Custy Schmidt, opened a small retail business in Harborplace, called Two Turtles. This enterprise would become their passion for the next 15 years and included the publication of a children’s book as well as the production of a clothing line for kids and adults.
Retiring in 2002, Mr. Schmidt and his second wife, Bette Koontz, enjoyed tending to their beachfront gardens in Ocean City, and spending time with family and friends in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. during the winter months. Both avid travelers, Bette and Lou enjoyed trips to China, Israel, Greece, Turkey and the Caribbean. He was a former member of the Baltimore Country Club, Ocean Pines Golf and Country Club, and the Lago Mar Tennis Club in Fort Lauderdale where they both loved playing tennis and golf.
“Poppie” is survived by his second wife of 11 years, Bette M. Koontz; two daughters, Robin S. Higgins of Brooklandville and Kelly S. Townsend and husband, Mark of Silver Spring; a stepdaughter, Susan K. Laber and husband Frank, and stepson, J. Michael Koontz and wife, Mae; five grandchildren and two step-grandchildren. A son, Louis E. Schmidt, Jr., died in 1971.
A Mass of Christian burial for Mr. Schmidt will be held at 10 a.m. on Nov. 2 at St. James Episcopal Church, 3100 Monkton Rd. A Memorial Celebration will be held at his Two Turtles beach home in Ocean City this summer.
Memorial donations may be made to the Maryland Institute College of Art, c/o Development Office, 1300 W. Mount Royal Avenue, Baltimore, Md. 21217, and directed to the Louis and George Schmidt Endowed Scholarship, in honor of his late father, who was a 1910 graduate and faculty member until his death in 1926.
Gary Tandski
Gary Allen Tandski
BERLIN — Gary Allen Tandski, son of the late Peter Tandski and Mabel Gillis Ferguson, was born on July 28, 1938 in Pontiac, Mich. and passed away peacefully in his sleep on Oct. 20, 2013 surrounded by family and friends at the age of 75.
Gary served in the United States Navy, following his service he was the General Manager of Levitz Furniture Store as well as Marlo Furniture in Rockville, Md. He was a member of the Dexter Elks, Hidden Trails Country Club as well as the Berlin Lions Club. He was a proud father, an avid golfer, fisherman, story-teller and self-proclaimed “ladies man”. Gary always enjoyed spending time at The Atlantic Hotel while drinking a nice glass of bourbon and ginger ale. He will be remembered as a man who was involved in the community, he loved to play craps, and who always said, “To have friends, you have to be a good friend”.
He is survived by two sons, Richard Tandski and wife Stacie of Harpers Ferry, W.Va. and Michael Tandski and wife Rebeca of Fairfax, Va.; by one daughter, Savanna Tandski of Annapolis, Md.; by one brother, Derill Ferguson Jr. of Hartville, Ohio; by three sisters, Brinda Wallis, LaVerne Tinker and LaVeda Banken all of Dexter; by four grandchildren, Haley Tandski, Austin Tandski, Brooklyne Tandski and Madison Tandski; and his canine companion, Jenna.
Services were held at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home with interment following in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that all memorials be made to the 18 Fore Life c/o Scott Kruse, 705 Laurie Circle, Dexter, Mo. 63841.
Jeffrey Lynn Jacobson
OCEAN CITY — Jeffrey Lynn Jacobson, 51, Ocean City, died June 20, 2013 at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.
Jacobson was born September 1, 1961 at Jamestown, N.D. the son of Russell Jacobson and Sharon (Bitz) Jacobson. He received his elementary education in the local schools and grew to manhood in the vicinity.
He enlisted in the National Guard on Oct. 20, 1978 and was honorably discharged Oct. 7, 1981. He then served in Germany in the US Army from Feb. 9, 1982 until Feb. 15, 1985.
Following his discharge, in 1985 he moved to Ocean City where he was employed as a floor installer and then was a bouncer at the Bearded Clam for 18 years. He returned to working as a floor installer until his death.
He was a member of the American Legion Post 166. He was an avid Minnesota Vikings fan. He was always willing to help anybody in need, young or old. Jeff loved the life of Ocean City.
He is survived by the pride of his life, his son, Jeffrey R. Jacobson, Ft. Bragg, N.C.; his mother, Sharon (Don) Bailey, Silver Springs, Nev.; his step-mother, Kathy Jacobson, Kulm, N.D.; four brothers, Terry Jacobson, Silver Springs, Nev., and Lonny Jacobson, Bryan (Deanna) Jacobson, Joe Jacobson, all of Jamestown, N.D.; two sisters, Robin (Lauren) Hehr, Fredonia, N.D., and Dawn (Russell) Hahne, Kulm, N.D.; sister in law, Tina Jacobson, Jamestown, N.D.; and special friend, Kim Linton, Berlin.
He is preceded in death by his father, Russell, and one brother, Rodney.
The memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 2, 2013 at the Haut Funeral Chapel in Jamestown, N.D. with Pastor Bryce Tahran, officiating.
The inurnment will be at the Highland Home Cemetery in Jamestown, N.D.
Arrangements are with the Haut Funeral Homes in Jamestown, N.D.
Online guestbook can be found www.hautfuneralhome.com
Talmadge D. “Todd” Radford
Talmadge D. ‘Todd’ Radford
SALISBURY — Todd Radford, 81, of Salisbury, formerly of Rockville, passed away peacefully at his home with his family by his side on Monday, Oct. 28, 2013.
He is survived by his wife, Betty, of 56 years, and six children, Lynn Wise and her husband, Arnett, Theresa Creek and her husband, J.L., Pam Money and her husband, Jeff, Todd, Jr. and his wife, Candy, Lisa Grass and her husband, Pat, and Greg and his wife, Vickie. Also he is survived by nine grandsons and four granddaughters, a brother, Eddie Lee, and a sister, Betty Ann Smith.
Todd and his wife owned and operated Radford’s Bakery in Montgomery County, Md. for 50 years and retired in 1999. Todd learned the art of baking from his father, who opened his first bakery in 1932 in Washington, D.C. After retiring to the Eastern Shore, Todd continued his love for baking by working part-time at Super Fresh.
Todd loved camping with his family and friends and traveled twice across the country, among numerous other trips. He enjoyed bowling in Ocean City and Millsboro and loved having his grandchildren visit. He served in the US Army from 1950 to 1953.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, Nov. 4, 2013 at Holloway Funeral Home in Salisbury at 11 a.m. A visitation will be held on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013 from 2-4 p.m. at the funeral home and Monday one hour prior to the service. Interment will be on Monday at Parsons Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Todd’s memory to Coastal Hospice, PO Box 1733, Salisbury, Md. 21802.