Politics & Government

Friends Bid Final Farewell to Schaefer at Cemetery

The body of William Donald Schaefer left Old St. Paul's Episcopal Church and arrived at 2:15 p.m. at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium for interment next to his longtime girlfriend, Hilda Mae Snoops.

UPDATE (4 p.m.)—William Donald Schaefer's friends and admirers gave him one last send-off in Timonium on Wednesday, after two days of public farewells at the State House in Annapolis and City Hall in Baltimore.

The hearse carrying the former mayor, governor and comptroller arrived just after 2:30 p.m. at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens for a brief interment ceremony, which included a cannon salute from the Maryland Army National Guard and a Maryland State Police helicopter flyover.

Schaefer, who died last week at 89, planned some of the details of his funeral proceedings himself. He will be entombed in a mausoleum at Dulaney Valley next to his longtime companion, Hilda Mae Snoops, who died in 1999. The stone for the tomb includes Schaefer's name on the left side and Hilda Mae Snoops on the right. Under Schaefer's name are the dates 1921 - 2011 and the two words he once told reporters would be on his tombstone: "He cared."

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In front of a stained glass mausoleum window near his tomb is a stone bench engraved with Schaefer's and Snoops' names.

The ceremony began shortly after 2:30 p.m. Clouds shifted in and out throughout the day, and the threat of rain loomed, but the skies calmed for most of the ceremony.

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A large honor guard, including members of Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County police and fire departments, the Maryland State Police, the American Legion and others, stood on a hill near Schaefer's casket. Numerous Maryland flags flapped in the light breeze as Schaefer's casket arrived to the tune of "Stars and Stripes Forever" and four Howitzer cannons fired a 19-shot salute.

The Fire Brigade Pipes and Drums of Greater Baltimore played as Schaefer's hearse made its way up a cemetery driveway, escorted by police officers on motorcycles and a riderless horse, much like the one that rode on the procession to Schaefer's funeral.

As the honor guard escorted Schaefer's casket to the bier, some of the more than 50 gathered saluted. Some put their hand to their heart. Others turned on their cell phone or camera and began to record or take pictures to get a final glimpse of the former mayor, governor and state comptroller.

During the ceremony, the American flag was removed from Schaefer's casket, folded and handed by Maryland National Guard Maj. Gen. James Adkins to Schaefer's longtime aide Lainy LeBow-Sachs, who sat in front of the casket with Schaefer's close friends and dignitaries. LeBow-Sachs, a confidant of Schaefer until his death, became visibly emotional.

The ceremony ended at about 2:48 p.m. after Jari Villanueva, the head of the National Guard's honor guard, played Maryland, My Maryland on his bugle. Villanueva did the same for Schaefer shortly before he died.

At around 3 p.m., people were still walking past the casket, touching it and saying final goodbyes before members of Schaefer's inner circle escorted his casket inside the mausoleum for a private interment ceremony.

Some of the onlookers who came to the interment ceremony did not attend the funeral and simply wanted to have a final chance to say goodbye and give thanks.

Baltimore resident Martha Dembeck came clad in a yellow Baltimore City Fair t-shirt and a "Baltimore is Best" button. A one-time city fair volunteer, the 58-year-old Dembeck recently retired after 34 years as a Baltimore city and Baltimore County special-education teacher.

"Being with Mayor Don—he was such a good man, he brought so much to our city," she said. "City Fair was a terrific event. Everyone there was family. I was able to be a part of it and contribute to the city because of him."

Baltimorean Eileen Gillian interned for then-mayor Schaefer in 1984.

"One time he came back from Japan where everything was so clean and neat," Gillian, 50, said. "He threw a fit because Baltimore was so dirty."

Schaefer at Old St. Paul's Episcopal Church by LeBow-Sachs, U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski and former Congressman Kweisi Mfume before hundreds of people who crowded the church—including numerous political dignitaries from throughout the state.


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