It is with sadness that the German Society of Maryland notes the death of Judge Gerard Wittstadt, Sr., on December 3, 2024. Judge Wittstadt was deeply involved in the German Society of Maryland for many decades and was an Emeritus Director at the time of his death.
The German Society extends condolences to his widow, Rosemary “Kimmie” Wittstadt, his children and all his family and friends.
The following obituary was published by Judge Wittstadt’s family:
THE HONORABLE JUDGE GERARD WILLIAM WITTSTADT
March 25, 1932- December 3, 2024
Judge Gerard William Wittstadt, Sr., will be remembered by many for his contributions to the law and to the legal community. He believed that being a lawyer required dedication to the profession and its core principles: Honesty, Integrity and Trust. Leaving nothing unaccomplished, Judge Wittstadt passed away as a result of living a long and fulfilling life at home surrounded by his loving family. Judge Wittstadt was 92 years of age.
Judge Wittstadt was appointed to the Baltimore County District Court by Governor Marvin Mandel in 1976 and served the legal community of Maryland and specifically Baltimore County for sixteen (16) years, retiring in 1992. Judge Wittstadt was respected by the Bar as a student of the law and demanded and expected lawyers appearing before him to be prepared and ready to argue their client’s position. Some mistook his requirements as harsh, and would sometimes try to avoid appearing before him, but the Bar, in general, knew that he understood the law and would truly evaluate the facts and apply them accordingly. He would not be swayed by extraneous circumstances. He was the resource other members of the Bench would seek counsel in the nuances of the law. Judge Wittstadt was a lawyer’s lawyer and a judge’s judge.
Upon learning of Judge Wittstadt’s passing, The Honorable John F. Fader (retired) expressed his kind thoughts about his dear friend and colleague, “‘Jerry was a man of great learning. He long served Baltimore County and the State of Maryland as a Judge and did so with great distinction. It was my good fortune to serve with him as a Judge on the District Court Bench. He was a good man and a good friend. He will always be remembered for the particular effort he made with younger men and women who were criminal defendants in his court in an effort to
turn them away from criminal behavior and onto a path of benefit to society.”
Reached for comment on the passing of Judge Wittstadt, Timothy Gunning with the firm of Wyatt & Gunning LLC in Towson said, “Judge Wittstadt was exceptionally well-versed in all points of law, and always very concerned with deciding each case properly, in strict accordance
with the controlling legal principles and authority. This intense desire to always render the correct decision resulted in Judge Wittstadt’s well known insistence on lawyers having the highest level of preparation in their cases, and woe to those lawyers who disappointed Judge Wittstadt in this regard!”
Judge Wittstadt attended and graduated from Mount Saint Joseph High School (1951) in Baltimore. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War era and was honorably discharged at the completion of his service. He was awarded a tennis
scholarship from The University of Maryland, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1954 and continued to the University of Maryland Law School earning his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1957. “Jerry” as he was known to family and friends, excelled in law school being selected to the
Editorial Board of Law Review and served as President of his class. Immediately following graduation, he sat for the Maryland Bar Examination, passing with a score his colleagues and classmates boasted to be the highest score that year. Jerry was hired immediately by Proctor, Royston & Mueller in Towson as an associate attorney where he was employed from 1957-1962. During his tenure with the Firm, he honed his skills and reputation until opening his own practice in his hometown of Dundalk, Maryland. Despite the demands of his law practice, Jerry found time during the presidential election of 1960, to serve as Vice-Chairman of the Citizens for John F. Kennedy for President in Baltimore County. In addition to his practice and his service to the presidential election, Jerry served the State of Maryland as Assistant Attorney General. In 1963, Jerry was appointed Chairman of the Military Draft Board in Baltimore County, serving until 1976. During these years, Jerry’s reputation as a master in his profession continued to flourish. The fundamental guarantee of “due process” bestowed by the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Maryland was his first and foremost guiding principle throughout his legal career.
Honoring Jerry’s accomplishments as a lawyer and legal scholar, Governor Marvin Mandel appointed him in 1976 to serve as an Associate Judge of the District Court of Maryland. During his tenure and service on the bench, Judge Wittstadt was selected by his colleagues in Baltimore and Harford Counties as their representative to the Administrative Committee of the District Courts of Maryland, as well as chairing the Criminal Law Committee at the annual Maryland Judicial Conference. Judge Wittstadt was reappointed to the Court by Governor Harry R. Hughes in 1984, and in 1988, Governor William Donald Schaefer appointed him to serve as Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Public Defender’s Office of Maryland. His work was instrumental in advancing the Public Defender’s Office guaranteeing all individuals facing criminal charges would have access to quality legal representation regardless of their inability to pay and that due process would always prevail. Understanding the obligation of lawyers (and Judges) to advance the profession to the next generation of lawyers, Judge Wittstadt served as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Law.
In 1992 Judge Wittstadt chose to retire from the bench to finish his professional life in the private practice of law. His two sons, having recently graduated from law school, Judge Wittstadt wanted to instill in them the same love of the profession. Wittstadt & Wittstadt, PA was founded, and the Judge and his two sons hung their shingle back where it all started, Dundalk, Maryland. Judge Wittstadt held licenses to practice law before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Maryland Court of Appeals.
Judge Wittstadt’s endeavors were not exclusive to the legal profession. He founded the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Greater Dundalk in 1958 and served as its first President. In 1961, he co-founded the Catholic Alumni Club of Baltimore, a Catholic social club for single Catholic adults. Unaware at the time, this would be his greatest accomplishment. Not very long after the formation of the social club, he met the love of his life, the former Rosemary Kimmel “Kimmie” Hill of Cumberland. Jerry knew what was right and stayed committed to his beliefs. One date was all it took; Kimmie and Jerry were married on June 16, 1962, and had five children.
Judge Wittstadt enjoyed history and learning from the past. He was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati in Maryland, founded in 1783 by the officers of the Continental Army who served together in the American Revolution. The Society is the oldest patriotic organization dedicated to
honor, promote and educate the achievement of American Independence. Being proud of his lineage, he was a member of The German Society of Maryland, The Society for the History of Germans in Maryland, and The German American National Congress. In 1989, Judge Wittstadt was honored by the Federal Republic of Germany as a Distinguished German American and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, which is the highest award the German Government can award a civilian. In 1992, he was designated by Mount Saint Joseph High School as a “Distinguished Graduate.” In 1995, he was selected as an outstanding German American by the German American National Congress.
Judge Wittstadt was not just a lawyer, judge or respected scholar. In his eyes, his greatest accomplishment was his family. He adored his wife, Kimmie, and was extremely proud of his children and their accomplishments, He loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was always asking them, “Who is your best friend?” Each time, receiving the same response, “You are DadDad.” He knew family time required dedication and time. In 1972, Jerry and Kimmie purchased property in Garrett County on Deep Creek Lake. It was this property that Jerry dreamed and built, swinging a hammer himself with Kimmie holding a board or nail, while their young children were either playing, getting in his way, or sleeping in their beds. The Lakehouse was his happy place and served him well. He never missed and opportunity to be “at the lake.”
Judge Wittstadt was a member of the Immaculate Conception Church in Towson, MD, Our Lady of Light Catholic Community in Estero, FL., and The Southwest Symphony Society.
Judge Wittstadt is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Rosemary Kimmel Hill Wittstadt; three sons, Gerard Wm. Wittstadt, Jr., Esquire (Lynn) of Glyndon, Mark Hill Wittstadt, Esquire (Kendall) of Hunt Valley, and John Kimmel Wittstadt of Baltimore; two daughters Rosemary Wittstadt Padgett (William) of Leonardtown and Ann Wittstadt Watson (Chris) of Towson; and his eldest granddaughter, Ashley Wittstadt Watson Garnher (Paul) of Cockeysville. He is also survived by fifteen grandchildren; four great grandchildren; a sister Kathleen Wittstadt Mustachio of Harleysville, Pennsylvania; and a brother C. Terrance Wittstadt of Bethany Beach, Delaware and numerous nephews and nieces. He is predeceased by two grandchildren, his beloved mother and father, Helen and John Wittstadt and eldest brother, John.
Visitation will be held at Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc. 1050 York Rd. (Beltway Exit 26) on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 from 2:00pm-4:00pm and 6:00pm-8:00pm.
A Requiem Mass will be held at Immaculate Conception Church in Towson, Maryland at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, followed by interment. The family would like to invite all Jerry’s friends and family to a celebration of life at the home of Jerry’s son following immediately thereafter.