Dave Reager, pictured here at CBMM with his wife Jeanne, had served on CBMM’s Board of Governors since 2017.

ST. MICHAELS, Md., Aug. 21, 2023  – The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum mourns the recent passing of David W. Reager and expresses our appreciation for his steadfast commitment to our organization over many years. Everyone at CBMM sends our deepest condolences to his wife Jeanne and his family and friends.

An avid sailor with a tremendous passion for CBMM’s mission, Dave was a CBMM member for more than 25 years and a leader within the organization over the final years of his life as Secretary of CBMM’s Board of Governors.

“Dave was not only a long-time member of CBMM’s Board of Governors, he and Jeanne became personal friends,” CBMM President & CEO Kristen Greenaway said. “I will always remember the support given both personally and professionally, as he fully believed CBMM is an organization headed for great things.”

A graduate of Penn State University and Temple University School of Law, Dave enjoyed a successful professional career in law and business.

Dave was a founding and managing partner of the law firm Reager & Adler, PC, in Camp Hill, Pa., which he formed in 1979 after five years serving as an assistant attorney general with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was active in real estate development and involved in numerous businesses over the years.

All the while, Dave was a leader within his community in Central Pennsylvania, through philanthropy and service. He served as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Cleve J. Fredricksen Library and on the board of a handful of other non-profit organizations, including the Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania.

Dave’s passion for sailing brought him to the Eastern Shore often, where he and Jeanne kept a home in St. Michaels and a membership in the Miles River Yacht Club. The Reagers became CBMM members in 1997, and he joined CBMM’s Board in 2017. Two years later, he was elected to the Executive Committee as Secretary, a role he held until his death on Aug. 11.

At CBMM, Dave developed a reputation for his dedication to helping wherever he was needed and keen insight with interests spanning the organization’s campus and mission. He was an active participant in the Maryland Dove Task Force and helped shepherd the most ambitious project in the history of CBMM’s Shipyard. He also served on the Advancement and Finance committees.

“We will miss Dave’s enthusiasm, wise counsel, and friendship,” CBMM Board of Governors President Craig Fuller said. “Dave’s appreciation and care for CBMM was evident in every conversation, and he made a real impact on the organization in so many ways.” 

Dave and Jeanne were early supporters of CBMM’s Master Plan for upgrading campus, and through their generosity, their names will be prominently displayed in the new Welcome Center’s  David & Jeanne  Reager  Pavilion, housing the new exhibition Water Lines, showcasing CBMM’s small craft collection when it opens this fall.

A celebration of Dave’s life will be held at the West Shore Country Club in his native Camp Hill on Sept. 20 at 2pm. Find more information in his obituary here.