CBMM community remembers Dave Reager 

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.

ST. MICHAELS, Md., March 16, 2023 – The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum mourns the passing of William U. Reybold III and sends our deepest condolences to his family.

A CBMM Lifetime Member, Bill Reybold was an active part of our community for more than three decades who is remembered as an enthusiastic advocate for our mission and a friend to everyone he encountered at CBMM. The Easton resident died last week at the age of 90.

“We’ll really miss Bill,” CBMM’s Chief Historian Pete Lesher said. “Bill’s passion for CBMM and our mission was evident over many years. He always took time to express his enthusiasm and appreciation for our exhibitions and programs, particularly our Waterfowling Exhibition and related collections, and we are truly grateful for his support and friendship.”

A prominent soil scientist with the United States Department of Agriculture, Bill became active at CBMM after moving to the area with his late wife Nancy following his retirement in 1989.

Bill’s passion for nature drove his wide-ranging contributions to the community. In addition to his long association with CBMM, he served on the Boards of the Waterfowl Festival, Pickering Creek Audubon Center, and Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage, and his volunteer efforts included work with The Nature Conservancy, the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. He was also a member of the Tidewater Farm Club and served as secretary of the Easton Ruritan Club for 12 years.

CBMM President and CEO Kristen Greenaway counts Bill as the first friend she made upon moving to the area in 2014 to begin her position. She was staying with a friend in her first weeks  on the Eastern Shore and would often run into Bill on her daily walks. Those enjoyable chats sparked a fast and lasting friendship.

“From our first conversation, I could tell Bill was a wonderful man,” Greenaway remembered. “Years ago, his wife told me that Bill really liked me. I asked how did she know? She responded, ‘Because that’s why he punches you on the arm every time he sees you!’”

In recent years, Reybold had remained a regular CBMM visitor, finding joy in the day-to-day bustle of campus and helping to spread that feeling to staff, volunteers, and other guests with his ever-present smile. His inquisitive nature and eagerness to learn something new were evident on every visit.

“Seeing Mr. Reybold was always a bright spot in my day,” said Jenny Allen, an associate in CBMM’s museum store. “He was a gentleman with a wonderful sense of humor and an infectious love for CBMM. He was always so happy to be here—like he had discovered it for the first time. He always had a kind word, often a compliment, and a joyful smile on his face. I will truly miss him.”

Information on funeral services, including a Friday evening visitation at Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home in Easton, and a full obituary are available here.