Born in Baltimore and raised in Glenelg and Ellicott City, he was the son of Hazel Martin and Robert H. Helsley. A graduate at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School and Howard High School, Bob received a scholarship to the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he later taught.

After leaving MICA he went into on-air television design, initially at Pittsburgh’s WQED, where “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” was being produced. He then worked at MPT in Owings Mills and subsequently became art director at Baltimore’s WMAR-TV, where he worked with afternoon host Sylvia Scott and others. Mr. Helsley later joined WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C. He won three Emmy Awards — for TV graphics, set design and animation.

“Bob was very well liked. He was kind but had high standards because of his years of work in television visuals,” said Norberto Gomez Jr., visual and performing arts chair at Montgomery College. “He was a fantastic illustrator and typographer. He had the perspective of someone trained in visual design before it was computer based. He was a master of [Adobe] PhotoShop and Illustrator and helped and encouraged students from very diverse backgrounds to continue their education at four- year schools.

“Bob was patient with his students and was a consistent donor to the college for scholarships,” Mr. Gomez said.

The college’s board awarded Mr. Helsley its bronze medallion for his “enthusiasm and dedication” at his retirement.

A poster designer, he created a 1982 poster for the opening of the Joseph Meyerhoff Hall that was exhibited in the prints and maps department of the Library of Congress. He also created posters for the 1983 Inner Harbor U.S. Pro Cycling event and for numerous productions of the Baltimore Opera Co.

Mr. Helsley was a collector of antique posters.

“Bob had impeccable taste,” said James R. Pierce, a friend and gallery owner. “He could come up with original ideas for the framing and he knew how to find things. He could also do paper restoration well.”

A member of the Golden Glow of Christmas Past, he collected early games, decorations, and miniature Santas associated with the holiday.

Mr. Helsley also was among those who restored dollar houses in the early 1980s. He refurbished a Victorian rowhouse in Southwest Baltimore that he used as a backdrop for his many collections.

Friends said he spent weekends combing antique shops. He participated in the old Columbia Flea Market and other venues. He was a regular shopper along Baltimore’s Howard Street Antique Row.

Survivors include a sister, Jewell Novak, of Monson, Massachusetts, and a brother, Michael Helsley, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and cousins, nieces and nephews.

Graveside services were held Oct. 20 at Loudon Park Cemetery.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com. 

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, Mr. Johnson went from a back street in West Baltimore to top theatrical venues. Smokey Robinson recruited him as a Motown Records arranger.

Born Isaiah Samuel Johnson in Baltimore, he was the son of Isaiah Samuel Johnson Sr. and his wife, Rebecca. He lived in a small home in the 1300 block of Whatcoat Street and immersed himself in the self-taught musical culture of his neighborhood. When his sister could not pronounce Isaiah, he got the nickname Buzzy.

In a 2019 history of The Flamingos, by author Todd R. Baptista, Mr. Johnson recalled listening to his parents’ radio and hearing Andy Williams and the McGuire Sisters. But the close harmony singer, Earlington Tilghman, known as Sonny Til, lived across the street. Til’s musical group, the Orioles, cut a hit record, “It’s Too Soon to Know.”

Mr. Johnson begged his mother for the money to go to the nearby Royal Theater on Pennsylvania Avenue, where he saw the top acts of the day. By his mid-teens, he was an accomplished guitarist (he listened to Les Paul and Mary Ford) and sax player, and read music. He possessed a polished baritone voice and could deliver the falsetto tenor popular at the time.

As a teen, he performed at West Baltimore talent shows, at Rich’s Carousel Lounge on Poplar Grove Street, at Carr’s and Sparrow’s beaches in Anne Arundel County and the Diamond Club on The Block. A classmate from Frederick Douglass High School suggested he join their singing group, the Whispers, whose members recorded on the Gotham label.

His ticket out of Baltimore came when there was a vacancy in The Flamingos, a Chicago-based vocal group. He auditioned at the Royal and, after just turning 18, was summoned to New York City, beginning a life as a professional musician. Within months, he was recording with the Flamingos on the Decca label.

Mr. Johnson recorded albums with his group — Flamingo Serenade, Requestfully Yours and Flamingo Favorites. The group toured widely and appeared five times on the TV show American Bandstand.

“They took the pop music songs of the 30s and 40s and translated them for a rhythm and blues vocal group,” said Milton A. Dugger, a friend from Baltimore. “Terry told me he got the idea for the ‘Only Have Eyes’ arrangement in a dream. The other Flamingos thought it would be a dud, but it turned out as their greatest hit.”

The Flamingos later split into two groups and Mr. Johnson stayed with the ensemble known as the Modern Flamingos, the Fabulous Flamingos and Terry Johnson’s Flamingos.

His version of The Flamingos appeared on two PBS specials: Rock and Roll at Fifty and Do Wop Cavalcade: The Definitive Anthology.

In 1964, Smokey Robinson recruited Johnson onto the staff of Motown Records, where he and Robinson became regular collaborators. Their most notable credited work was the 1969 Billboard Top 10 hit for The Miracles, “Baby, Baby Don’t Cry.”

Mr. Johnson also wrote and produced for the Four Tops, the Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas and the Supremes. In 1969, Johnson released the solo 45’s “My Springtime”

Among his many industry achievements, he was musical conductor for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.

He never retired and appeared in Baltimore last year at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Govans.

Survivors include his wife and longtime musical partner, Theresa Trigg. She said survivors include grandchildren, nieces and nephews and cousins.

A funeral will be held Nov. 12 in Las Vegas on what would have been his 87th birthday.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com.

Born in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, he was the son of John Osborne Bisset, a Baltimore pastor who founded the Peter and John Radio Ministry with his brother, Peter. His mother was Barbara Orange Bisset, who worked alongside her husband in the ministry.

Mr. Bisset — who never used the title the Rev. — moved to a dairy farm in Manchester in Carroll County in 1952 as his extended family and church friends worked to turn River Valley Ranch into a Western-themed Christian youth camp and retreat center.

He was a graduate of Manchester High School, the Moody Bible Institute and Greenville College in Illinois. An ordained minister, he also had two master’s degrees from the Johns Hopkins University.

In 1963 he met his future wife, Mary Ruth Kennedy, a student at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles who had come to work as a summer camp counselor at River Valley Ranch. They married in 1964.

Mr. Bisset worked his entire career for Peter and John Ministries, beginning in 1964 when WRBS-FM (95.1) was purchased. The radio studio was originally located in Northeast Baltimore at Alameda and Coldspring Lane. He later assisted in moving the broadcast headquarters to Arbutus, where Brighter Media Group’s main studios remain.

“My father was among a handful of early pioneers who helped define the direction of Christian radio. He stood out for his integrity, intellect and quiet strength,” said his daughter Christina Blackman.

“He was a door opener for others and stood aside as they walked through,” his daughter said. “My father chose to be a quiet figure. He had an understated strength. He was the first person in his family to put women on his board of directors.”

Mr. Bisset became general manager of WRBS-FM and led the station to receive the National Religious Broadcasters Station of the Year Award twice. He later served as president of Peter and John Ministries. The radio station, now known as Bright-FM, operates additional stations in Grasonville/Annapolis and Hagerstown/Frederick.

He was the author of “Why Christian Kids Leave the Faith,” “Every Day With Jesus,” “Good News for Prodigals” and “A Risky Obedience.”

He also wrote letters and essays for The Baltimore Sun.

“My father was also known for his love of sports and competition — whether coaching his son’s undefeated Green Machine youth soccer team or claiming the Maryland State Doubles Handball Championship,” his daughter said. “People recall his gentleness, wit and deep care for people.”

Survivors include his wife of more than 60 years, Mary Ruth Kennedy Bisset, a Baltimore County Public Schools music teacher and church organist; a daughter, Christina Blackman, of Baltimore; a son, Jon Bisset, of Monkton; a sister, Sharon Bisset, of Avon, New York; two brothers, Chuck Bisset, of British Columbia, Canada, and Steve Bisset, of Naples, New York; and four grandchildren.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com. 

“Louise was a magnificent human being,” said Stephen A. DiBiagio, John Carroll’s president. “She had a steel resolve to forge ahead and teach our students moral courage and compassion. She was transformative.”

Born in Lorain, Ohio, she was the daughter of Cletus “Kayo” Brink and Mary Louise Stewart Brink. She earned a degree at the University of South Florida and began her career at Eau Gallie High School in Florida, where she met her future husband, Louis Géczy, a fellow teacher.

After moving to Maryland, she taught English, creative writing and public speaking in the Baltimore County public school system, including a period at Perry Hall High School, where she also advised the literary magazine.

She was a Fulbright Scholar in Hungary, her husband’s ancestral homeland, from 1993 to 1994.

After moving to Harford County, she joined the John Carroll School faculty and taught English and public speaking. She was later academics project manager and developed a senior project program.

“She helped establish Senior Unity Day and shaped the school’s Human Rights and Holocaust programming, including Holocaust Remembrance Day and the senior class trip to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum,” said her daughter, Michelle Géczy.

She also led Lessons of the Shoah, an annual event held in conjunction with the Baltimore Jewish Council.

“Louise was an amazing woman,” said Jake Hollin, a John Carroll assistant principal. “She was a light in a dark world. Louise emphasized human rights and dignity regardless of faith, skin color or background. She was able to give a voice to the voiceless.”

She co-created the elective Exploration of Human Rights, Genocide and the Pursuit of Justice and organized the school’s annual Genocide Vigil.

Ms. Géczy was a recipient of the 2024 International Peace and Justice Award and the 2009 and 2023 Ponczak-Greenblatt Families Awards for Excellence in Holocaust Education.

Her daughter, Michelle, also said, “She was compassionate, humble, generous and kind. She inspired her students with wisdom, creativity, curiosity and faith in their potential. Her encouragement gave many the confidence to find their own voices.”

Ms. Géczy led by example, embodying the belief that “we rise by lifting others.”

She enjoyed gardening, browsing bookstores and libraries and playing Scrabble and cards.

“She liked a good crab cake, antiquing and a chocolate milkshake made with vanilla ice cream,” her daughter said.

A memorial will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 29 at the John Carroll School in Bel Air.

Survivors include her daughters, Michelle Géczy, of Baltimore, Jessica Géczy-Shertzer, of Conowingo, and Allison Fordyce, of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania; two sisters, Susan Hewins, of Ashtabula, Ohio, and Patricia Brink; and five grandchildren. Her husband of 54 years, Louis Géczy, a Parkville High School teacher, died in 2023.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com.

Born in New York City and raised in Albany, he was the son of Dr. Frank Ferguson, a physician, and his wife, Joan Lonergan Ferguson. A 1964 graduate of Vincentian High School, he earned his bachelor’s and medical degrees at Cornell University, where he played football and baseball.

While attending Cornell, he met his future wife, Diane Marie Strickland, on a blind date. They often attended races at Saratoga Springs.

Dr. Ferguson later worked in rural clinics in Jamaica as part of a Cornell-sponsored program. He and his wife later settled in Hartford, Connecticut, where he served at Mount Sinai Hospital, first as chief resident and then as chief of medicine for nearly 15 years.

In 1992, the couple moved to Baltimore, where he became chief of medicine at Union Memorial Hospital. They initially lived on Hawthorn Road in Roland Park.

He led Union Memorial’s training program for two decades and mentored numerous young physicians. He also served as a clinical professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and later taught at Greater Baltimore Medical Center.

Dr. Ferguson published scientific articles on internal medicine and founded a journal dedicated to community medicine. He was also a specialist in geriatric medicine.

“My father had a legacy of intellect, commitment and quiet leadership,” said his son, Michael Ferguson. “He was known for his dry wit, steady presence and unwavering integrity.”

A licensed pilot, Dr. Ferguson flew a single-engine Cessna around New England. He had a deep interest in the Civil War and visited battlefields at Antietam, Gettysburg and Fredericksburg.

“Friends and family also knew him for his quirks, such as his strange devotion to the obscure comedy program ‘The Uncle Floyd Show,’” his son said of the cult comedy program.

He remained an avid sports fan and followed the Orioles and the Ravens. He was an original season-ticket holder for the Ravens.

Survivors include his wife, Diane Marie Ferguson, a Catholic Charities mental-health school counselor; a son, Michael P. Ferguson, of Severna Park; two brothers, Brian Ferguson, of New York City, and Philip Ferguson, of Tucson, Arizona; two sisters, Kate Ferguson, of New York City, and Margaret Ferguson Kleinman, of Westchester, New York; and two grandchildren. A daughter, Kelly Ferguson, died in 2007.

A memorial service will be held Nov. 22 in Baltimore. For details, contact his son at mpfergus@hotmail.com.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com.

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, she was the daughter of Sigurd Valther Jansson, an executive with the Stockholm Tramways, and Irma Birgitta Andersson Jansson, who owned a restaurant called Fregatten.

She spent her teenage years working at her great-aunt’s general store on the island of Yxlan in Stockholm’s archipelago. She graduated from Bromma Kommunala Flickskola in 1959 and later attended the Karolinska Institute, a medical university, where she trained as a bacteriologist.

In October 1963, she moved to Baltimore’s Hamilton neighborhood to join a team at Johns Hopkins Hospital as a bacteriologist.

“She took a huge chance in coming to Baltimore. She picked Johns Hopkins and said, ‘I’ve heard of that.’ She loved her job and loved to work,” said her son, Stephan Moylan. “She was kind and warm and took care of people.”

She met her future husband, Martin Moylan, after an article and photo about Hopkins and her work appeared in the News American. A photographer gave her number to News American political reporter Frank DeFilippo, who in turn gave it to his friend, attorney Martin Moylan.

“On their blind date, Birgitta, whose English was still developing, mistakenly thought Martin was a truck driver because he talked about trucks — a reference to his job at the Interstate Commerce Commission,” said her son. “We believe their first date was to the Eichenkranz restaurant.”

“She told me she had her Swedish language book when they went on the date,” Stephan said. “Fortunately, her Swedish roommate later clarified that he was a lawyer, and their future was sealed.”

After raising three children, she returned to Hopkins at the Bayview Medical Center and joined the asthma and allergy research center. She worked alongside Dr. Robert Naclerio, an otolaryngologist.

Mrs. Moylan was a member of the Johns Hopkins Club and fostered her Swedish heritage through her involvement in the Sveaborg Society of Maryland, a local Swedish American club. She met with its members at various Lutheran churches throughout Baltimore.

“Her Swedish accent got stronger through time. She was always involved with food. She had hundreds of cookbooks. She could plan a meal, cook it and be the life of the party,” her son said. “She was a social butterfly. She was socially active until the day she died. She never stopped and was a person of action.”

Her husband, Martin Moylan, an attorney, died in 2019.

Survivors include two sons, Judge Stephan Moylan, of Oakland in Garrett County, and Christopher Moylan, of Stockholm, Sweden; a daughter, Martina Dilks, of Baltimore; a sister, Maja Berg, of Degeberga, Sweden; a brother, Christer Jansson of Stockholm; and seven grandchildren.

The family will announce service arrangements at a later date.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com.

Born in Washington, D.C., Mr. German was the son of the late William German, a Maryland state employee who helped oversee road maintenance, and the late Ellen German, who worked for the Montgomery County Board of Education.

Mr. German graduated from Damascus High School, where he played football in 1980, before joining the Air Force. An airman, he served from 1980 to 1984 and was stationed in Colorado.

He met his wife of 40 years, Lisa, while he was stationed in Colorado. They married in 1985 in Burtonsville and later moved to Germantown, where they lived for 15 years.

Mr. German worked at NASA for about two years before moving to a job as an electrician at the Department of Energy for 10 years. His favorite part of the job was working in the same building as his wife, according to a daughter, Krystal McHenka. He also worked at the Old Soldiers Home in Washington, D.C., for about five years as an electrical supervisor. Highlights of that job included golf lessons from President Jimmy Carter and meeting actor Arnold Schwarzenegger while he filmed a movie there.

For 15 years, he worked at the U.S. Department of the Treasury Bureau of Engraving and Printing. He liked telling people he made money, his daughters said.

He also worked as the building manager for Tri-County Baptist Church and was a devoted volunteer.

Mr. German was co-owner of Whispering Meadows Alpaca Breeders in Mount Airy, which he owned and operated with his wife for more than 20 years. He also led the Alpha Alpaca 4-H Club, which the Maryland Alpaca Breeders Association said was the largest alpaca club in the state.  Known to club members as “Mr. Rick,” he was known for encouraging each youth member, ranging in age from 5 to 18, to reach their full potential, even if it meant they were pushed a bit out of their comfort zone.

One of his daughters, Tiffany German, said that if a child was struggling with their alpaca, he would remain calm and supportive. “He’s one that could stay calm in a storm,” she said.

Julie Odland, of Frederick, met Mr. German about 12 years ago when her children joined the alpaca club. She served as the club’s co-leader with him and recalled his larger-than-life personality. “He had a way of getting kids to be successful that, just … mystified me,” she said.

The 4-H kids adored him and would bake Mr. German snickerdoodle cookies, his favorite treat, for holidays and his birthday.

On Nov. 8-9, the 4-H club members will show alpacas at the Maryland Alpaca and Fleece Festival at the Howard County Fairgrounds. They’ll dress up with their alpacas and join a parade, carrying on Mr. German’s legacy and demonstrating the impact he had on all who knew him.

Friends and family say Mr. German will be remembered for his big personality, talkative nature, his sense of humor —he would eat anything for money, they said— and commitment to his church and his faith.

Surviving Mr. German, in addition to his wife Lisa (Nixon) German, are two daughters, Tiffany German, of Mount Airy, and Krystal McHenka, of Westminster; grandchildren Dodge, Shane and Ella; two brothers, Robert, of Adamstown, and Ronald, of Frederick; seven nieces; and two nephews.

Have a news tip? Contact Gabriella Fine at gfine@baltsun.com or at 443-900-1296. 

Born in Baltimore and raised in Hamilton and Towson, he was the son of Arthur Leonard Pineau Sr., an Ocean City business owner, and his wife, Wanda. He spent his early summers on Lake Winnisquam in New Hampshire.

In 1963, when his father bought Ocean City’s Funcade Casino, he worked alongside him at the business. He sold tickets, repaired pinball machines and helped with prizes.

He was a McDonogh School graduate and excelled at sports, rode horses and was in the military school’s cavalry. He was a McDonogh color sergeant and joined the school’s board in the 1990s.

He attended Texas A&M University for two years but decided to change schools. He transferred to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.

“He talked his way into the program at Penn without having an undergraduate degree,” said his daughter, Jennifer Pineau Wilson. “He was proud of that.”

One Christmas Day, while working a shift at Penn Vet’s Trauma and Emergency Center, a British-born vet intern, Dr. Patricia Bradley, offered to make the students dinner. They married in 1976 — on Preakness Day — in Dereham, England, and returned to Baltimore aboard the QE2.

The couple took over ownership of Aardmore Veterinary Hospital on Loch Raven Road in the Waverly-Homestead neighborhoods. They worked together until her retirement last year. Dr. Pineau worked at the hospital until the day he died.

“Animals were deeply important to Lenny — but not more than their owners. He was so proud of the veterinary practice that he and Pat had built and loved talking to his numerous clients every day,” said his daughter, Jennifer. “The hospital has become a true institution in Baltimore. He had more than 5,000 clients.”

Dr. Pineau and his wife moved to Worthington Valley in 1981 and established Three Pines Farm. They bred, trained and raised thoroughbred horses. Among his winners were Ten Out of Ten, Purely Hot, TV Wizard and Jaxon Traveler.

Thoroughbred horse trainer Mary Eppler said, “He was a great veterinarian and a great horseman too. He was an astute businessman who did a wonderful job of raising his own horses.”

In a 1982 Sun story, he said, “You don’t wake up one morning and decide to stake your life savings on a racehorse. Suitable investors are those who know what they are doing and can afford to risk their funds.”

He also spent summers at Deep Creek Lake and time in Colorado, and he repurchased the Funcade Arcade in Ocean City.

“My father did not run it, but he went down every week in the summer to check on it. To him, it was a family legacy,” his daughter said.

Survivors include his wife of more than 49 years, Dr. Patricia Bradley Pineau; two daughters, Jennifer Pineau Wilson, of Owings Mills, and Katherine Bradley Pineau, of London; a son, Paul Pineau, of New York City; a sister, Linda Marano, of Fenwick Island, Delaware; and three grandsons.

A life celebration will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 6 at Three Pines Farm.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com.

After an internship at the University of Florida in Gainesville, he came to Baltimore for a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he initially trained as a gynecologist before pursuing cardiology.

While at Camp Seagull on the North Carolina coast, he met his future wife, Bonny Lynn Morgan. They married in 1956.

He became a fellow in cardiology at Hopkins and, in 1965, became chief of cardiology at the old Baltimore City Hospitals, now Bayview Medical Center. He and a colleague, Dr. Robert Fischell of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, collaborated to develop an early rechargeable pacemaker that used a lithium battery.

Dr. Lewis also taught at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and was chair of the Department of Medicine at Franklin Square Hospital. In 1971, he and a colleague founded what became Chesapeake Cardiovascular Associates.

He retired from medicine in 2000 and became an advocate and lobbyist for marine fisheries conservation. He promoted science-based, sustainable management of Maryland’s marine resources.

He joined the Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland and chaired its Government Relations Committee. He was also active in the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishing Association’s Perry Hall chapter and the Oyster Advisory Commission.

In 2017, he wrote to The Baltimore Sun saying the Maryland Board of Public Works “should decline to issue a wetlands license to the Department of Natural Resources to dredge buried oyster shell from Man-O-War Shoal in Baltimore County. This is the last large shoal or reef composed of very old buried oyster shell in the upper Chesapeake Bay.”

“He spent many hours on the road to and from Annapolis to be present at legislative hearings, and he worked hard to educate legislators and the public about sustainable fisheries,” said his daughter, Lynn Lauerman.

He, along with Sun outdoors columnist Lefty Kreh, received the 2020 Maryland Sport Fisheries Achievement Award.

“He was a happy man when fly-fishing in rivers with his buddies or on the flats of Belize, or surf fishing on a North Carolina beach,” said his daughter.

Dr. Lewis was a murder mystery reader and Center Stage subscriber. He enjoyed dinners at Tio Pepe and was a student of the Spanish language. He was also a birder.

Survivors include a son, Ken Lewis Jr., of Seattle; a daughter, Lynn Lewis Lauerman, of San Diego; a sister, Lynda Sharpe, of Aiken, South Carolina; and four grandchildren. His wife of 67 years, Bonny Lynn Morgan Lewis, a former Hopkins genetics laboratory worker, died in 2024.

A memorial service was held Oct. 25 at Broadmead.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com.

A first-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers in 1969, Domres was dealt to the Colts in 1972. Expected to understudy Unitas, then 39, Domres became a starter in midseason during a shake-up of the 1-4 team by new owner Robert Irsay. Buoyed by the Columbia University grad, who was booed mercilessly by Unitas’ fans, the Colts split their next six games before the last home contest against the Buffalo Bills — and the final game for Unitas at Memorial Stadium, though the odds of his playing that day were slim.

“That game was the highlight of my career,” Domres told The Baltimore Sun in 2009. He passed for three touchdowns and rushed for a fourth as the Colts led 28-0. But after that last score, a 15-yard run, Domres limped off the field, feigning injury. His act allowed Unitas to come off the bench and throw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Hinton. The crowd went nuts.

“The noise? I can’t imagine any sporting event having that decibel level,” Domres recalled. “When John trotted back off the field, all of us had tears in our eyes. I remember every second. It was an unbelievably moving experience and the most memorable event of my [nine-year] career.”

For his part in that game, Domres was named NFL Offensive Player of the Week.

A bright Ivy Leaguer, he squared off against the blustery Irsay during the quarterback’s four years in Baltimore. Once, after a forgettable preseason loss to the Atlanta Falcons in 1973, Domres was publicly berated by the owner in the locker room. Domres lashed back, telling Irsay, “You don’t know if the football is blown up or stuffed.”

Gradually, his playing time diminished in favor of Bert Jones, the team’s No. 1 draft choice in 1973. But Domres finished that year on the rise, leading the Colts (4-10) to successive season-ending victories over the soon-to-be-Super Bowl champion Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots.

Domres was quick to help his successor’s transition from college to the pros, said Jones, the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1976.

“I valued Marty’s friendship,” said Jones, 74. “It’s hard to compete with somebody and still be friends. But Marty was someone I could always rely on to give me information that was good.”

“He had a quick wit, and we had a lot of belly laughs together. Once, before we left for a road game, I let all of the air out of the tires of his car at the airport. Marty never knew who did it, but now that he’s on the other side, I fear he’s gained that knowledge — so I’m looking over my shoulder.”

Before the 1976 season, Domres was dealt to the San Francisco 49ers and retired from football in 1978. All told, for the Colts, he completed 51% of his passes for 3,471 yards and 21 touchdowns.

He settled in Baltimore and worked as a financial adviser for Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown. Domres remained friends with Unitas and played golf with the Hall of Famer at Hillendale Country Club.

“I saw John at his house, not long before he passed away [in 2002],” Domres once told The Sun. “He was wearing a golf outfit, so I figured he was going out to play a round.

“John said, ‘No, knucklehead, I’m going to church, like I do every morning.’

“I said, ‘Say a prayer for me.’ ”

Unitas frowned.

“I’d have to say a rosary for you,” he answered.

Two days later, Unitas died of a heart attack. Domres attended the funeral.

Domres is survived by his wife, Cheryl Domres, of Reisterstown, and a stepson, Christian Cummings, of Stevenson.

A memorial service will be held Oct. 30 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Parish, 100 Church Lane, Cockeysville.

Have a news tip? Contact Mike Klingaman at jklingaman@baltsun.com and 410-332-6456.