Celebration of life for former Thurmont commissioner to be held Saturday

A celebration of life for Bill Buehrer, who served on the Thurmont Board of Commissioners for 12 years, will be held Saturday.

It will be 1 to 3 p.m. at Stauffer Funeral Home in Frederick.

Buehrer died at Frederick Health Hospital in November 2023 at age 78 and had a long career in funeral services and as a town commissioner.

During Thurmont’s town meeting on Tuesday, Mayor John Kinnaird said Buehrer “served our community well” and “had a heart of gold.”

“Bill was, at his soul, very concerned about everyone’s health and well being,” Kinnaird said. “Bill has been missed and will continue to be missed. ... I enjoyed his company, as I think we all did up here [on the board].”

Buehrer — whose first name was Wilbur — was born in Ohio in 1945 and graduated from the University of Toledo in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

His career spanned decades at multiple funeral homes and businesses after he became a licensed funeral director in 1968.

His positions included president of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association; managing partner and funeral director with Walker-Feibach Funeral Home; and location manager for Dunbar Funeral Home, according to his obituary.

In 2002, Buehrer and his wife Colleen moved to Maryland and joined the staff of Stauffer Funeral Homes in Frederick. Buehrer served as Stauffer’s preplanning director for 15 years before retiring in 2017.

Buehrer was a commissioner for the town of Thurmont from 2011 to 2023.

After he was diagnosed with cancer, he focused on the town’s annual Gateway to The Cure campaign, which raises funds annually for cancer research.

Buehrer was an avid golfer and helped with the campaign’s Golf Classic event.

He is survived by his wife, Colleen Buehrer, as well as four children, numerous grandchildren and his dog, Daxie.