William Donald Schaefer, His Final Farewell:
A Look Back at his Funeral Services
By Jari Villanueva
© 2016 Jari Villanueva, Taps Bugler
Originally published April 2016-updated April 2026
It has been five (fifteen as of 2026) years since the passing of Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer. This is the story of my involvement in his funeral services during the week following Easter in 2011. The elaborate three-day services culminated weeks of planning that put me in charge of overseeing the state’s farewell to a Maryland icon. I have included as many of the other people and organizations involved in those events as possible in my account of those busy days, but the story is told from my personal perspective.
William Donald Schaefer (November 2, 1921 – April 18, 2011) served as a Baltimore Councilman, President of the City Council, Mayor, Maryland Governor, and Comptroller during his long political career. Many will remember him for his leadership in revitalizing downtown Baltimore, building Baltimore Harborplace, and his work to build Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
My relationship with William Donald Schaefer dates back to my high school days, when I played in the All-Baltimore City High School Band at his inauguration as Baltimore’s 44th Mayor, a position he held for four terms from 1971 to 1987. Schaefer had already made his mark in Baltimore politics starting in 1955, rising through the City Council and making the right connections to become City Council President. He came into power after a turbulent time in our nation’s history, following the late 1960s riots and the economic and domestic troubles of many major cities. His goal was to make Baltimore a city that would attract tourism and businesses at a time when cities were losing populations to suburban areas. I was caught up in the excitement of Baltimore’s renaissance as a high school student and then as an undergraduate at the Peabody Conservatory. I found myself playing in concerts at the Baltimore City Fair, Sunday afternoon performances at the Inner Harbor (before Harborplace), the Howard Street shopping district, Hopkins Plaza, and the War Memorial Plaza. I worked for Sandy Hillman, a close advisor to Schaefer and director of Baltimore’s Promotion and Tourism, planning and performing concerts in the mid-1970s, including organizing a concert series called Mid-Town Music that brought concerts featuring Peabody students and other performers to downtown venues such as Hopkins Plaza.
These city-sponsored performances promoted the downtown area, helping revitalize it and bring people downtown. Under Schaefer’s leadership, the 1970s saw great things in the arts in Baltimore. On Stage Downtown, the Baltimore Arts Festival, and the Mid-Town Music Series, along with concerts at the Pier 6 pavilion, were great venues for artists and musicians. All of this was sponsored by the city under Schaefer, who wanted to showcase the talents of Baltimoreans.
II received several letters from Mayor Schaefer thanking me for my participation and work on the projects with the city. I even wrote to invite him to my senior recital at Peabody. I received a nice note from him saying he was unable to attend but wished me well. That he took the time to write to me was quite impressive to a 22-year-old student trying to make his mark in the world.
After graduation, I continued to perform in the city at many events before landing a position as a band director in the Baltimore City School System, where I taught at Baltimore City College High School, where Schaefer had graduated some 40 years earlier. During my tenure there, the City College band performed at several city events, and our paths crossed again.
In 1983 I left for graduate school in Ohio and when I returned I taught briefly in Baltimore County before joining The United States Air Force Band in Washington DC.
Over the next 25 years, I watched Schaefer serve two terms as Maryland’s 58th Governor, beginning in 1987, and then as the 32nd Comptroller of Maryland, beginning in 1999. As he had been in Baltimore, Schaefer was a great cheerleader, extolling his signature “Do It Now” philosophy. Whether you liked him or not, he was William Donald Schaefer.
Schaefer retired from public life in 2007 after losing to Peter Franchot and moved into the Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, Maryland, to spend his final years. As he left public office, he was asked how he’d like to be remembered. He summed up his 50 years of public service in two words: “He Cared.” William Donald Schaefer cared about helping people.
In 2009, Schaefer was honored with a life-sized bronze statue at Harborplace, depicting him holding one of those “Do It Now” memos for which he was famous. It was an honor to be invited to the dedication ceremony for that statue, which faces the harbor, and to have the chance to shake his hand and pose for a few photos with him. I mentioned to him that I had met him as a young man playing at the City Fair and Hopkins Plaza, and he seemed rather pleased by the memories.
After retiring from active duty with the Air Force in 2008, I went to work for the state of Maryland as Director of the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard. The MDNGHG supports 300 military funerals a month in Maryland, and overseeing this vital program is a significant responsibility. However, my time in The USAF Band and my work with the USAF Honor Guard and the chaplains at Arlington National Cemetery had prepared me well for my new position. In addition, while on active duty, I had been heavily involved in preparing state funeral plans for former presidents. When Major General James A. Adkins became the 28th Adjutant General for Maryland in 2009, one of the projects he assigned me was to prepare a funeral procedure for former governors and high-ranking state officials in Maryland.
This outline, based on the funeral procedures for presidents, would serve as a framework for honoring former governors at the time of their passing, as well as any other person designated for such honors by the sitting governor. It covers arrival ceremonies, lying in state in the Maryland State House, any desired procession, a religious service, and interment. As with all plans of this type, it is designed to blend military pomp and ceremony with the family’s specific wishes.
In the outline I created, the honors are based on the Department of Defense protocol order of precedence. For a state governor, those honors include a musical honor of four ruffles and flourishes, 32 bars of “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” and a military 19-gun (cannon) salute fired by an artillery battery. These honors would be performed along with the traditional honors rendered to all retired military members: three rifle volleys, Taps, and the folding and presentation of the flag to the next of kin.
In late March 2011, a call came from General Adkins asking me to be involved in planning a large-scale funeral. Schaefer’s health was failing, and it was time to prepare using the outline I had developed for funeral procedures for Maryland state officials.
Over the course of Schaefer’s career, he had surrounded himself with a small group of friends and close colleagues. A lifelong bachelor, Schaefer had no immediate family except for this close-knit group of friends. Among them were former aide Lainy Lebow-Sachs, who helped him make the transition into the retirement community and watched over him during his last days; Mark Wasserman, Schaefer’s Chief of Staff; Michael Golden, press secretary; Dean Kenderdine, executive director of the state retirement agency; Reverend Luther Starns, his minister; Bob Douglas, press secretary; Ron Kreitner from the Department of Planning; and Nancy Gordon, his executive assistant. Several weeks before his passing, when it was evident that he was nearing the end, these friends and close colleagues were brought together to plan a farewell ceremony for their former boss. It was this group that I was asked to meet with to begin planning Schaefer’s funeral. From the start, it was clear that Lainy (as she wanted to be known in this article) would be the driving force behind this group. She was not only a longtime aide but also a close friend, and she would direct much of how the ceremonies would take place.
At the first meeting, I sat and listened intently as the group put forth many ideas for the ceremonies to honor their former boss. While the intent was good, few had experience planning large ceremonies that would mix military, police, fire, and civic elements. I quickly put together a plan that would include the protocol for honoring a state chief magistrate and would be flexible enough to include the special touches for this man. I also began to reach out to organizations that would provide support.
Planning continued through the first two weeks of April. Meetings were held at several locations, and the organizations responsible for the logistical requirements of a large-scale ceremony were contacted. Those organizations included the Maryland National Guard, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, the Maryland Defense Force, the Baltimore Emergency Management Agency, the Maryland State Police, and the Baltimore City Police.
The initial plan I came up with was to have the services held over three days:
D-Day: Death of the governor and transport to the funeral home.
D+1: Lying in repose at the funeral home with visitation.
D+2: Arrival and lying in state at the Maryland State House.
D+3: Transport to Baltimore for funeral service and interment.
However, that original basic plan changed several times as the group made suggestions and more details were added.
To schedule funeral honors with the military, proof of service is typically required. William Donald Schaefer was a World War II veteran who served as a hospital administrator in the European Theater of Operations. He continued his military service after the war and retired as a Colonel in the Army Reserves in 1979. The VFW offices at the War Memorial Building in Baltimore were helpful in obtaining his discharge paperwork, although, as governor, he didn’t actually need his service record confirmed. Funeral honors for the governor are those accorded to all who have served in the highest position in the state.
The governor had been the Commander-in-Chief of all Maryland National Guard Soldiers and Airmen; therefore, the National Guard would take the lead in providing honors, with the Maryland State Police, Baltimore City Police, other police jurisdictions, and firefighters in supporting roles. The Maryland National Guard Honor Guard would supply the military elements for the funeral, and the National Guard would also furnish a band and an artillery salute battery from the 58th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade. Other organizations would provide color teams and a casket watch at the Maryland State House and Baltimore City Hall.
This was a difficult time for all those involved as they were making plans for a final salute to a man they had known and worked with for decades. I could see how this was going to take on a life of its own, and I was doing my best to make sure that the wishes of the close friends and aides complemented the military honors that would be accorded the governor.
Lainy visited Schaefer almost every day in early April to attend to his needs as he grew more frail. During the Palm Sunday weekend in 2011, news arrived that the governor was in very poor condition and likely would not last a week.
On April 17, a meeting was held to inform everyone that the time was approaching and that we should prepare for the funeral. Because the next weekend was Easter, the question of scheduling was raised should Schaefer pass during Holy Week.
On Monday, April 18, Lainy set up a conference call for everyone. She was with Schaefer and wanted to review some plans. She told everyone she was sitting with the governor, and everyone spoke to him one last time. One by one, they said how much they loved him and thanked him for his years of service. I heard expressions of gratitude for the mentoring he had done. Schaefer did not reply, but everyone could hear his labored breathing. Many were on the verge of breaking down, as everyone on the call sensed these would be the final words they would say to their boss. For me, as someone brought in to coordinate the ceremonies that would honor him, I felt a bit like an interloper. Although I knew Schaefer from my high school days, my relationship with him was not as personal as those on the phone. One by one, they said goodbye. Then I was introduced. Sitting in my office at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore, I could not say much except that I appreciated his service. I then quickly picked up my trumpet and said, “Mr. Governor, this is for you,” and played “Maryland, My Maryland,” the state song. It was a spontaneous gesture, and when I finished, I could hear sobbing on the phone. Lainy came on to say nothing more could be offered, and everyone hung up. It was eerily quiet, and I felt perhaps I had gone over the line by playing my trumpet. I was to find out later that the gesture had been very much appreciated.
It’s unclear whether Schaefer fully understood the tune or the farewells expressed by his friends and colleagues during the conference call. “I am always going to believe he heard it,” said Lainy. I was lucky enough to be there to say, “I love you,” on his end.
I left my office and went home. Around 6 pm, I received a call from Lainy saying Schaefer had just passed and that the funeral home was on its way to take his remains to Ruck Funeral Home in Towson for preparation. I called Captain Ron Lewis, Director of Special Operations and my contact at the Maryland State Police, to let them know of his passing. Immediately, a State Trooper was dispatched to the Charlestown Retirement Community to escort the hearse. I drove over to Charlestown to assist Lainy, but I was stopped at the gate. The news of Schaefer’s death had quickly spread, and security was locking down Charlestown to prevent media from entering. Once the State Police arrived, I was let in with them, and we waited for the hearse to arrive. We formed a convoy of five vehicles. Before we left, I asked if the governor was covered with a flag. The funeral home had not brought one, so I gave them the spare I always carry in my vehicle. This flag was to cover him from that point on until it was presented on behalf of a grateful nation and state. To this day, I am honored that the flag that covered the governor came from the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard. The convoy left Charlestown for the trip to Ruck Funeral Home, escorted by the State Police with their flashing lights.
The next day, a meeting was called to discuss the funeral plans. Because of Holy Week and the additional services churches would be holding, it was decided to wait until the following week, April 25 to 27, to hold the funeral ceremonies honoring the governor. Because the date was pushed back, there was more time to plan the ceremonies and to coordinate military, police, fire, and the various veteran service organizations that wanted to participate in the farewell.
During that week the final plans fell into place, which now looked like this:
Monday, April 25. The casket would be taken from Ruck Funeral Home in Towson, Maryland, to the State House in Annapolis, where the governor would lie in state in the Rotunda from 10 am to 2 pm. The casket would then be taken to City Hall in Baltimore. During the trip to Baltimore, the hearse would travel to various locations, including Harbor Place, The National Aquarium, and his home on Edgewood Street in West Baltimore. The casket would arrive at City Hall around 5 pm, where it would be placed in the Rotunda for a day.
Tuesday, April 26. The casket would lie in state in the Rotunda of Baltimore City Hall. Baltimore City Police would provide casket watch day and night, and the public would be able to pay their respects.
Wednesday, April 27. The casket would leave City Hall in a slow procession to Old Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church for the funeral service. Following the service, the procession would proceed to Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium, Maryland, where the casket would be placed in a vault with full military honors, including a cannon salute by an artillery battery, a National Guard band, a firing party, Taps, and a flyover by a Maryland State Police helicopter.
As plans developed, it became clear that the scope of military honors would go far beyond the simple folding and presentation of the flag, and the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard had already been training for such an occasion. We had a six-person casket team, with a Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge, a firing party, colors, and a bugler, all set to go. The team would be required to carry the casket in and out of the State House, City Hall, and Old Saint Paul’s Church, and at the interment at Dulaney Valley. All this would be performed in public view with intense media coverage, so extra practice was required. The Deputy Director of the Honor Guard, Dominic Boyd, oversaw the casket team while I worked other details of the funeral. They practiced at the State House to ensure that the steps leading into the building would be negotiated without issue. City Hall presented several challenges, including a narrow doorway and steps inside the lobby. Because of the week’s schedule, the only time the casket team could practice at City Hall was at 10 pm on Saturday, April 23 (Easter Eve).
Meanwhile, plans were made for ceremonies at the State House on April 25, including a wreath-laying by the current governor, Martin O’Malley, and a ceremony with cabinet members and legislators. Since Schaefer would lie in the State House for only four hours, the morning plans were limited to public viewing after the arrival ceremony. However, a very elaborate plan was being developed for the afternoon trip from the State House to City Hall. The procession would travel through Baltimore, making up to 14 stops before arriving at City Hall. This plan, worked out by Schaefer’s aides, was ambitious and had many moving parts.
My attention was focused on coordinating with state officials, aides to the Mayor, the National Guard, and many groups that wanted to be part of the final salute. Traveling between Baltimore and Annapolis became my new daily routine. I also drove to the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) for briefings with the major players for the ceremonies. Mike Fischer, who headed operations for MEMA, had done great work in bringing all the agencies together. I was impressed by their expertise in handling large-scale events and pleased with how everyone was working together to make things happen. At the city end of the events, Robert Maloney of the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management handled operations. Both Mike and Robert were great help during the week.
I also sat in on a briefing with the Baltimore City Police Department, which would have a major share of the responsibilities. Many questions arose about the funeral service and the seating list for dignitaries and special guests, and fortunately we had the assistance of the Maryland Military Department Legislative Liaison, Catherine Kelly, who handled that issue. Her help was immeasurable.
As more plans began to fall into place, new questions about Old Saint Paul’s Church arose. Lainy raised them, concerned that the church might not hold everyone who wanted to attend and that parking and lining up for the procession to Dulaney Valley could be difficult. Another meeting helped ease her concerns, but I found myself running almost an hour late for a meeting at the State House. When I finally arrived, an aide to Governor O’Malley spotted me from the 2nd floor and called for me to meet in the cabinet room. When I walked into the room filled with aides, someone said, “Oh good, he’s here, we can start.” Up to that point, I hadn’t realized how much was riding on my expertise.
By Thursday afternoon, my smartphone was going haywire. My voicemail box was full, and my inbox was overflowing. The Adjutant General’s and the Governor’s offices were concerned about my driving myself around while I needed to respond to urgent incoming messages and tend to last-minute details. On Good Friday, after a final meeting, I was told that a Maryland Transportation Officer would be assigned to drive me for the three days of the funeral ceremonies.
As the week closed and the Easter weekend began, it was time to take a short breather before the ceremonies began.
A LONG WEEK BEGINS
For me, the beginning of the year had already been very busy. Not only was I serving as the Director of the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard, but I was also commanding the Maryland Defense Force Band. In March, the band was completing our recording sessions for the CD “Day Is Done: Music Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of Taps,” which we were preparing to release ahead of the 150th anniversary of Taps in 2012. We were also preparing to march in a parade in downtown Baltimore in April, marking the 150th anniversary of the Baltimore Riots, when Baltimoreans attacked soldiers of the 6th Massachusetts Regiment as they marched through Baltimore on their way to Washington, DC, at the start of the Civil War. That event involved not just the MDDF Band but also the Civil War band I lead, The Federal City Brass Band. On the horizon for me were the celebrations of Easter, which I always play for in church, and the annual ANZAC Day commemorations in Washington, DC, where I sound the bugle call “Last Post” in memory of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who died in the attack at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915. It was a busy time, to say the least.
In addition, on March 26, while I was at the annual Maryland Defense Force muster at the Pikesville Armory, I received word that my mother had passed away. She had been in a nursing home since suffering a stroke six years earlier, and her passing, while not unexpected, hit hard. My mother had always been my one sturdy foundation. Her years in the nursing home had taken a terrible toll, and I felt this awful loss deeply. Our family of eight siblings gathered for a memorial service in Baltimore, with plans still to be made for the interment of her ashes in Finland at a later date. I knew I had to set aside my grieving for a bit and concentrate on the ceremony about to unfold. Now, less than a month later, the focus was on making sure the details for Governor Schaefer’s ceremonies were taken care of.
As we entered the Easter weekend, I was confident we had everything covered, but as it drew to a close, it became clear the funeral would take on unprecedented proportions. The Honor Guard was set to go, but the program for the church service on Wednesday was still being worked out. The order of service, along with favorite hymns, was being prepared. The service would follow the Episcopalian order of funeral rites, interspersed with special music and remembrances. The planning for the service was led by the Reverend Luther Starnes, one of Schaefer’s close friends and an ordained minister. Starnes, in addition to being a friend of Schaefer’s, had been a radio talk show host in Baltimore. For music, I reached out to Jared Denhard, my friend and local musician, to put together a brass group for the service and to play pipes at the end of the funeral ceremony. I also coordinated with the Reverend Mark Stanley, pastor at Old Saint Paul’s, and the church’s organist, Diane Belcher, to work out logistical and musical requirements for the funeral service.
On Monday, April 25, the three-day funeral began with the arrival of Schaefer’s casket at the Maryland State House. The Rotunda was prepared with wreaths, flags, and Schaefer’s portrait. An interesting challenge was that using the Rotunda was not an automatic given. Permission had to be requested and granted by the State House Trust. This was granted, of course, given the nature of the event. No one could remember the last time, if ever, that a governor had lain in state in the State House.
The arrival took place at 10 am, and the casket was carried into the State House by the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard, escorted by Governor O’Malley and the Senior Chaplain for the Maryland National Guard, Colonel Sean Lee. Once inside, a brief ceremony was held, and the governor presented wreaths. One of the wreaths had “He Cared” written on it. When the ceremony was complete, former governors, legislative leadership, along with Senators and Delegates, paid their respects. The doors were then opened to the general public, who came through to view the casket. This was a closed casket draped with the United States flag. Discussions had been held during the week about whether to have an open or closed casket, but it was decided to keep it closed so the public could remember Schaefer in their own minds.
At 2 pm, the viewing ended, and the Honor Guard removed the casket from the Rotunda and placed it back into the hearse for the trip to Baltimore. What followed over the next several hours was a unique spectacle worthy of William Donald Schaefer. A procession of vehicles, led by the hearse and escorted by police motorcycles, made stops at places in Baltimore well known to the former mayor. After a brief stop on Caton Avenue to regroup and have Baltimore City Police take over as escorts, the “last tour” began. Brief stops were made at Camden Yards, Harbor Place, The National Aquarium, Lexington Market, Fells Point, and his home in West Baltimore. At each location, crowds gathered to express their love and appreciation. Posters, flowers, wreaths, cards, and gifts were given to the funeral party.
At Schaefer’s boyhood home at 620 Edgewood Street in West Baltimore, a large crowd gathered to greet the hearse. A sign held by one woman read, “I Love You For Caring!” Schaefer had grown up on Edgewood Street and lived there with his mother until the 1980s. A Maryland flag was displayed on the porch of the house, now owned by Paula Deadwyler, and applause broke out as the procession turned onto the street. The procession had all the appearance of a political whirlwind tour.
At the Washington Monument on Mount Vernon Place, women were decked out in hats and bonnets reminiscent of the annual Flower Mart held there. A brass quartet played, and Lainy was given a sign that read, “Schaefer Little Girl” and Proud of it!” (This was a reference to Schaefer’s habit of referring to his female aides as his “little girls,” a title that may not have been politically correct but that many women who worked with him were proud to wear nonetheless.)
At stops along the way, enthusiastic crowds greeted, applauded, and waved as the hearse passed by. At the Basilica of the Assumption, the casket was blessed by Bishop Denis Madden. At Federal Hill, where Schaefer had posed for photos many times, the hearse passed as children played on the swings. At the stop by the Schaefer statue on the west side of the Inner Harbor, a huge crowd waited. The hearse drove up the concourse and stopped in front of the life-size image of the man responsible for the revitalization of the downtown area. Among those who came to take in this remarkable scene was C. Fraser Smith, a newspaper columnist and author of the book “William Donald Schaefer: A Political Biography.” At the World Trade Center, the procession was met by Helen Delich Bentley, the former Congresswoman responsible for much economic development in Maryland, who wept uncontrollably.
At the National Aquarium, staff members were decked out in straw hats behind a sign that read, “We Tip Our Hats To You, William Donald Schaefer.” The hats were a tribute to the famous photo of Schaefer taking a dip in the seal pool after losing a bet about the Aquarium opening on time. A stop in Fells Point was met by lifelong resident US Senator Barbara Mikulski, who had served as a Baltimore City Councilwoman in the 1970s before running for Congress. The appropriate stop there, of course, was at Jimmie’s Restaurant, where Schaefer had many breakfasts during his career. To this day, a table is always reserved for the mayor/governor.
The “tour” ended at Baltimore City Hall, where his casket was to lie in state for the next 40 hours. As the procession drove onto the plaza in front of City Hall, it was greeted by a large American flag suspended high between two Baltimore City Fire Department ladder trucks. City Hall was decorated with a large black crepe draped over the front. A large crowd gathered to witness the arrival ceremony, including many Baltimore politicians and those who had gotten their start in Baltimore politics. The Baltimore Ravens Marching Band played as the casket was carried in. The Ravens Band had evolved from the Colts Marching Band, and when the team left Baltimore in March 1982, the band remained together. Schaefer had done his best to keep the team in Baltimore but was eventually thwarted by owner Robert Irsay. Although the team had left, the Colts Fight Song remained as a remnant of the great Baltimore football tradition. Schaefer loved the song and the band, often requesting the tune. So it was appropriate that the band played a slow, solemn version of the fight song as the casket was taken into City Hall.
Once again, members of the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard carried the casket in. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Chaplain (COL) Sean Lee led the casket into the building, followed by Lainy, escorted by the Adjutant General. The casket was taken into the Rotunda, where a painting of Schaefer as mayor was on display. Once the casket was placed on the bier and a guard of honor from the Baltimore City Police was in place, a brief ceremony was held. Mayor Rawlings-Blake and other dignitaries presented wreaths, and remarks were made.
Outside City Hall, a large crowd had queued around the building, waiting for the doors to open. Once the ceremony ended, citizens began filing in to pay their respects to the longtime mayor of Baltimore. The Baltimore City Police took over the casket watch, and I dismissed the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard, who went home for the evening. They had done great work with their preparations all weekend and with their dry runs at the State House and City Hall to ensure their part that day would be flawless. It was.
Before I left to go home, I went down to watch the long line of mourners. I learned that the filmmaker and director John Waters was in line outside, waiting to pay his respects. Mr. Waters was asked if he would like to be brought in through a side door, but he refused, saying he was there simply as a private citizen.
Although the first day’s activities were over, the behind-the-scenes preparations were still underway. Coordination among the Maryland National Guard, the Maryland Defense Force, veteran service organizations, Ruck Funeral Home, church, state and city officials, and police and fire departments was in a continuous state of action. Every person who headed their own section did a great job. For me, it was the greatest juggling act I had ever done. Fortunately, my years in the Air Force working on state funeral plans had prepared me for this moment. While in the USAF Band, I had prepared the funeral music for presidential funerals and had been actively involved in the state funerals for former Presidents Reagan and Ford, so I was well familiar with all the moving pieces of such a large ceremonial event. I was also blessed with spiritual guidance from Chaplain Lee of the National Guard and Reverend Stanley from Old Saint Paul’s. And the support I had from my boss, Major General Adkins, was without doubt the most I could ever hope for.
And of course, there were the dozens of people working on the funeral. I know I have not managed to name all the individuals responsible for making these events come together so successfully, but this was a real team effort, and it could not have happened without their help.
Tuesday, April 26, was a day without formal ceremonies as the public viewing hours at City Hall continued. But it was still busy with more meetings and efforts to keep things on track for the funeral on Wednesday morning. This included ensuring the program was printed and that the sequence of the day’s activities would go as smoothly as possible.
Wednesday’s events were to include the departure ceremony from City Hall and a formal procession through downtown streets to Old Saint Paul’s Church at Charles and Saratoga Streets. There, the funeral services would be held, complete with military honors, choirs, an organ and brass ensemble, bagpipes, and a packed church. Following the service, the procession would travel up Charles Street to Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens for the interment with full military honors.
Even though there was still a full day before the funeral services, the Honor Guard spent Tuesday practicing at the church to ensure they were familiar with the layout and the sequence of the ceremony. They then headed to Dulaney Valley for a dry run of the interment ceremony. I also walked from City Hall to the church to determine how long the procession would take the next morning.
I reached out to several musical groups to perform at City Hall during the 40 hours Schaefer lay in the Rotunda. The Baltimore City College Choir (Schaefer’s alma mater) performed, as did the Handel Choir of Baltimore, which sang on the evening of April 26. Both choirs sang from the balcony overlooking the casket, delivering wonderful performances. One of the selections by the Handel Choir was a moving rendition of the traditional American tune “Shenandoah.”
While attending to last-minute preparations on that Tuesday, I stopped by the Fifth Regiment Armory to pick up ten US flags. In the afternoon, I returned to City Hall and spoke with the Baltimore City Police Honor Guard, asking a special favor. After the doors closed for the evening at 9 pm, could they take the flags, rotate another one onto the casket every half hour, and then refold them? By the morning of the funeral, I would have ten folded flags that had covered Schaefer’s casket, which I planned to save for a special presentation.
Tuesday turned out to be long and exhausting, with many details needing to be finalized. One of the challenges I faced was the numerous calls from VIPs seeking special access and parking at the church. Most of that was beyond my control. Special seating was set up for dignitaries, but seating everyone was still going to be a challenge, especially for the throngs of citizens who wanted to be part of this final goodbye. To assist with this, audio speakers were set up outside the church, and accommodations were made to view the service on closed-circuit television. The media had set up pool coverage of the service. Media requests had been coming in all day and were expertly handled by the public affairs folks headed by Lt. Colonel Charles Kohler with the Maryland National Guard.
Wednesday, April 27, dawned as a beautiful day in Baltimore. At 10 am, the casket was taken (once again by the same team that had served so well over the past several days) from the City Hall Rotunda and placed in the hearse for a slow, solemn funeral procession to the church. The hearse was followed by Major General Adkins, escorting Lainy, who was acting as the next of kin. The route covered about 10 city blocks, and throngs turned out to watch the funeral parade. The procession was led by Baltimore City Police motorcycles clearing the way. Next came a drum corps made up of drummers from the Maryland Defense Force Band and a local pipe band. Following the drums was an escort of police and firefighters, deputy sheriffs, and then the hearse with Schaefer’s casket. Behind the hearse came Sergeant Jonathan McGlone of the Maryland National Guard, carrying the Maryland flag, and Corporal (MDDF) Thomas Kiefer of Troop A of the Maryland Defense Force, with a caparisoned horse. The caparisoned, or riderless, horse is a military tradition that signifies a fallen leader. The boots are placed backward in the stirrups to indicate that the leader will never ride again.
As the funeral procession lined up, mourners arrived at Old Saint Paul’s Church for the 11 am service. The list of attendees was a virtual who’s-who of federal, state, and city officials. The police had cordoned off streets in downtown Baltimore for the procession from City Hall to the church and were preparing for the trip to the cemetery after the service.
The printed program that was distributed looked spectacular and quickly became a much-sought-after memento of the funeral. I was quite pleased with how it turned out, and much credit goes to Staff Sergeant (MDDF) Heather Faust of the Maryland Defense Force, who had worked for several days to make it perfect.
At the signal to start, the casket was taken from City Hall, placed in the hearse, and the procession began a slow westward march on Fayette Street to Charles Street, then north to the church at Charles and Saratoga Streets. Old Saint Paul’s Church, officially called St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, is a historic landmark in Baltimore. Built in 1854, it was the home of one of the original 30 parishes of the old Church of England and sits on a hill near the Basilica of The Assumption Catholic Church, the birthplace of Catholicism in the United States. Old Saint Paul’s was built with 12th-century Italian elements on the exterior and Romanesque elements inside. Aisle windows dating to the 1890s were designed by Tiffany Studios of New York. William Donald Schaefer attended services there while mayor of Baltimore.
As the funeral procession made its way through downtown, hundreds of workers descended from their offices to watch the solemn parade. The drums played the muffled funeral cadence, a beat many recognized from the funeral of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963. The drums echoed off the buildings, creating a sound markedly different from the usual traffic noise. The pageantry of a funeral procession was much in evidence as the parade made its way up Charles Street to the church.
Inside the church, as mourners were seated, the Maryland State Boychoir and the Morgan State University Choir, under the direction of Dr. Eric Conway, a former Peabody classmate of mine, performed appropriate music. The Montebello String Quartet, directed by Mark Dulac (another Peabody classmate), also played selections that Schaefer had loved. Former governors sat up front with state legislators and cabinet members. Former Adjutant General for Maryland, Lt. General James Fretterd, wearing his full uniform, arrived in a wheelchair due to a recent illness, but once inside the church, Fretterd got up and walked to his seat. Fretterd and Schaefer had enjoyed a good relationship during the time both were serving the state.
Once the procession reached Old Saint Paul’s, the hearse stopped in front of the entrance. Lainy was escorted to her seat by General Adkins, and when the signal was given, the Honor Guard removed the casket from the vehicle. As the casket paused in front of the entrance, the 229th Army Band of the Maryland National Guard sounded the military honors accorded a governor: four ruffles and flourishes and the last 32 bars of “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” Once the honors were completed, the band played the hymn “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” as the Honor Guard brought the casket through a cordon of flags and into the church.
Once inside, the band music stopped, and the three anthems William Donald Schaefer knew and loved were sung. First came “Baltimore, Our Baltimore,” the city’s municipal anthem, followed by “Maryland, My Maryland,” the state song, and then “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Accompanied by the organ and brass, everyone sang the selections with gusto. After the anthems, the flag-draped casket was carried down the aisle to the altar to the strains of the opening hymn, “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken.”
The Bishop of Maryland, The Right Reverend Eugene Sutton, served as the officiant for the service, with the Reverend Mark Stanley, Rector of Old St. Paul’s Church. US Senator Barbara Mikulski, former US Congressman and President of the NCAAP Kweisi Mfume, Lainy Lebow-Sachs, and Schaefer’s friend John Rogers from the Charlestown Community offered remembrances. “He always had the right instinct that set the right tone and put Baltimore on the map,” Lainy remembered in her remarks. I was honored when she mentioned me by name during her remembrances to thank me for my work with the funeral. The Reverend Luther Starnes delivered the Homily, speaking fondly of his friend.
The service also included selections from the Morgan Choir singing “If I Can Help Somebody” and hymns loved by Schaefer, “Amazing Grace” and “For All the Saints.”
At the conclusion of the service, Jared Denhard led the casket out of the church with his pipes playing “Farewell to the Creeks,” a melody by James Robertson from World War I. The organ and brass then led the congregation in a rousing rendition of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The casket was placed in the hearse for the trip to Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, where Schaefer would be interred in a vault next to Hilda Mae Snoops, his longtime companion. Once again, throngs lined the streets the procession would travel, though this time it would not make any stops.
An interesting departure from a normal funeral procession from church to cemetery was the order of the vehicles. Usually, the hearse leads a procession to the place of interment, but in this elaborate funeral it was decided to have the mourners move first so they could be in place at the cemetery when the casket arrived. This worked out well, so everyone was able to witness the arrival of the casket and the final military honors ceremony.
At Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, everything was set for the final ceremony that would conclude the obsequies for Schaefer. Located in Timonium, Maryland, Dulaney Valley was founded in 1958 by John W. Armiger Sr., who dedicated a special section to military, police, and firefighters. The cemetery has long hosted an annual Memorial Day ceremony.
Once parked, mourners were escorted to the location behind the mausoleum, where the interment ceremonies would take place. Over a dozen flag teams from various organizations were in position, lining the perimeter of the area.
There was one brief concern at the cemetery. A fast-moving storm was passing through the Baltimore area, and there was a concern that the funeral might be delayed if a thunderstorm came through. Fortunately, the storm dissipated.
As the hearse entered the cemetery, the Firefighter Pipe Band of Baltimore County led the procession for the final quarter mile to the burial site at the mausoleum, which sits on a hill in the northeast section of the cemetery. The hearse was once again followed by Sergeant McGlone, carrying the Maryland flag, and the riderless horse, escorted by Corporal (MDDF) Kiefer. Cadets from police academies lined the cemetery drive.
On a signal, the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard carried the casket to the site, pausing as the 229th Army Band, Maryland National Guard, played military honors one last time for the governor. As before, the ruffles and flourishes were followed by “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” This time, the music was accompanied by a 19-gun salute from the artillery battery. Once the salute was finished, the casket team moved to the bier as the band played “Goin’ Home,” the slow movement from Dvorak’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor (From the New World), associated with the passing of President Franklin Roosevelt.
Once the casket was in place, the short committal service led by Rev. Mark Stanley began. Following the committal came the final military honors. As everyone rose, all the color guards came to attention and presented arms. The firing party from the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard fired the traditional three volleys followed by the bugle call of Taps sounded by Sergeant Keith DeFontes of the 229th Army Band. The casket team then folded the flag into the three-cornered shape reminiscent of the tricorn hat of the American Revolution as the band played “America, The Beautiful.” Once folded, the flag was passed to Major General Adkins, who presented it to Lainy on behalf of the nation and the state.
The military honors concluded with a flyover by a State Police helicopter. As it passed, I stepped up and played, as I had over a week earlier, “Maryland, My Maryland.” The request had come from Lainy and others for me to finish the service in the same manner as when they had said good-bye to Schaefer on the phone that afternoon the week before. I was honored to do it.
After the service, the funeral home and cemetery officials placed the casket in the vault, and mourners began to leave. Schaefer’s close-knit group of friends, who had grown even closer during the planning of this tribute, couldn’t quite bear to leave, but they knew they had completed their duties. What was left? Someone suggested an informal wake, and it was decided to go to The Corner Stable, a restaurant in Timonium, where this small group would have one last toast to their boss. I was invited. This was a stroke of good luck because I had a special gift for each of them.
We drove to the restaurant, and for the next several hours I listened as everyone shared stories and favorite anecdotes about Schaefer. Over coffee, I brought out the US flags that had covered Schaefer’s casket the night before. These flags had been carefully folded by the Baltimore City Police Honor Guard and each placed in a plastic flag case. I gave one to each participant and kept one for myself, which today rests on a shelf in my office at the Fifth Regiment Armory. The day finally came to an end, and the Maryland Transportation Officer took me home.
I was pretty much exhausted but very pleased with how everything had turned out. I took the next two days off work to rest up and watch and read about the funeral. The coverage had been extensive, and now it was time to sit and review what had transpired.
I had trouble sleeping for the next week, but I finally got back into my regular routine of supporting funerals for our honored veterans. Our next major ceremony would follow one month later, when Paul J. Wiedorfer, the last living Maryland recipient of the Medal of Honor, died. This soldier received the medal for his actions in Belgium on Christmas Day, 1944. He was buried with full military honors in Baltimore.
The 20 members of the Maryland National Guard Honor Guard who participated in the three days of Governor Schaefer’s funeral went above and beyond to ensure a perfect ceremony for the late governor. Later that summer, we gathered on the floor of the Fifth Regiment Armory, and I was pleased to award them special military decorations in recognition of their hard work.
That summer, the group of Schaefer’s friends gathered again at Gary Memorial United Methodist Church in Ellicott City to dedicate a plaque. For nearly a decade, Schaefer had regularly attended the historic church tucked away in the Patapsco Valley State Park. He never became a member, but he always referred to Gary Memorial as his church. The plaque marks the pew where he sat.
In May, General Adkins awarded me the Maryland Distinguished Service Medal for my work on the funeral. Looking back, I can only thank the preparation I had while in the Air Force and the great team I was able to lead. And I can’t thank enough the friends and associates of the former governor for their faith and trust in making this final farewell to him come off. They all cared, just like William Donald Schaefer taught us. From the funeral service program came the call for all Marylanders, “He Cared.” He cared about helping people. Now you do what you can to help people in tribute to perhaps Maryland’s greatest public servant. Do It Now.
About the Author:
Jari Villanueva retired from the United States Air Force where he spent 23 years with The USAF Band in Washington, DC. He is considered the country’s foremost expert on military bugle calls, particularly the call of Taps which is sounded at military funerals. While in the Air Force he was the Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge of The USAF Band’s State Funeral Plans and was the NCOIC of the command post at Andrews Air Force Base which oversaw the arrival and departure ceremonies for the late Presidents Reagan and Ford.
Villanueva worked for the Maryland Military Department from 2008-2017 serving as the Director of Veterans Affairs, Maryland National Guard Honor Guard (MDNGHG). The mission of the MDNGHG is to provide Military Funeral Honors to Armed Forces Veterans in Maryland and performs over 3,500 ceremonies each year. He was also conductor/commander of the Maryland Defense Force Band and retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel (MDDF) in the Maryland Defense Force.
In 2011, Villanueva planned, coordinated and oversaw the funeral services for former Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer. He also provided the military funeral honors for Paul J. Wiedorfer, the last living Maryland Medal of Honor recipient. Villanueva served on the committee to plan the 150th anniversary of the Pratt Street Riots in Baltimore marking the start of the American Civil War and served on the planning committee for the 9-11 Memorial of Maryland at the Baltimore World Trade Center. In 2012, Villanueva was appointed by Governor Martin O’Malley to the Maryland Military Monuments Commission.
Villanueva is a graduate of the Baltimore Public School system and earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1978 from The Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University. In 1984 he received a Master of Music degree from Kent State University, Ohio. He is also a 2006 graduate of the Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy. His military awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Good Conduct Medal with six oak leaf clusters, National Defense Service Medal with one service star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the State of Maryland Distinguished Service Cross, the State of Maryland Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster and the Maryland Defense Force Achievement Medal.
VIDEOS FROM THE FUNERAL AND REMEMBRANCES
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