Chesapeake Beach, MD – Thomas A. Rymer, a retired Calvert County Circuit Court judge and member of the state’s House of Delegates, has died, his family has reported. Rymer, who was 91, died Friday, April 15 after a short illness.
Rymer, a North Carolina native and U.S. Navy veteran, was elected to the legislature in 1970 after serving a term as Calvert County State’s attorney. He left the legislature in 1987 after then-Governor William Donald Schaefer appointed him to the circuit court bench. During his legislative career Rymer served as majority whip.
Additionally, he chaired the Tri-County Council of Southern Maryland and served two terms as chairman of the Mid-Atlantic region’s Chesapeake Bay Commission.
“He was a brilliant man but also a sensitive person,” former State Senator Roy Dyson said of Rymer. Dyson, who also served 10 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, was elected to the House of Delegates during the 1970s and became good friends with Rymer and his family. Dyson told The BayNet he had lunch with Rymer and his wife, former aide Barbara Shields and retired Judge Marvin Kaminentz just a few months ago at Sandgates Inn. “We had a great day,” said Dyson of the gathering. “It was a wonderful afternoon.”
Dyson said he believes Rymer was successful as a legislator, lawyer and judge because, “he didn’t lose that common touch. He knew the right way to apply the law.”
Rymer was also an active volunteer in the community, serving as a board member for the Calvert County Library and ARC of Southern Maryland. He was also an active member of Emmanuel United Methodist Church.
Rymer is survived by his wife, Grace Mead Rymer, who he married in 1977; three children, six stepchildren and a brother.
Funeral services for Thomas A. Rymer will be held Wednesday morning, April 20 at Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Huntingtown.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com