Robert B. Brenegan, former Maryland National Bank official, dies

Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun
·4 min read

Robert B. Brenegan, a former Maryland National Bank official who enjoyed professional figure skating and baseball, died of cancer May 8 at his home in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The former longtime Guilford resident was 80.

Robert Benjamin Brenegan, son of Leighton D. Brenegan and Nancy G. Brenegan, was born and raised in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Mr. Brenegan maintained a lifelong interest in baseball, having played in Little League and at James Blair High School.

During his college years, he worked at Colonial Williamsburg as a history interpreter in various shops.

“His friends who worked summers at the King’s Arms [Tavern] would pass iced tea to him through a window, or throw cherries at him, he would recount fondly,” said Debbie Funk, his sister-in-law, of South Baltimore.

She said he was very proud of his mother, a longtime wigmaker and milliner at Colonial Williamsburg, who appeared in 1978 on Perry Como’s “An Early American Christmas” that was filmed there.

After graduating from high school, he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1968 in business administration from Campbell University.

In 1973, he married Linda Funk.

The next year, he became a founding member and senior vice president of Maryland National Industrial Finance Corp., which was headquartered in Towson, and was a subsidiary of the old Maryland National Bank.

When Bank of America took over his company, he moved downtown to its headquarters at 10 Light St., and was appointed vice president of special assets, managing a portfolio of graded commercial loans.

Hope Malmgrem Moore, and her husband, Robert D. Moore, worked with Mr. Brenegan at Industrial Finance Corp.

“Bob was a good-natured and positive person who was very customer-oriented,” Ms. Moore said.”He always had a moving-forward attitude. He was well thought of by everyone at the bank who admired [his] personality and character.”

Anita Bohli-Deasel also worked closely with Mr. Brenegan.

“Bob was wonderful to work with and just a great person all around, both at work and at home,” Ms. Bohli-Deasel said. “I never, ever saw him in a bad mood. [He] got along with everyone, and was a great leader in his department. He left a lot of good memories.”

After retiring in 1998, he began a second career with CBIZ Inc., a national auditing and business services firm, where he was managing director of lending services for a decade until retiring a second time in 2008.

He also was treasurer of Towson Women’s Care, a nonprofit medical center that provided free services for women and their families.

For many years, Mr. Brenegan, who maintained an interest in professional figure skating, was CFO of The Next Ice Age, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that promotes figure skating. Olympian Dorothy Hamill served on board of directors, and performed regularly with the company as a featured guest star.

“Over the years, the Brenegans hosted Next Ice Age skaters in their home for the weeks leading up to a performance, including two seasons at the Kennedy Center in Washington,” Ms. Funk said. “When the Ice Capades performed in Baltimore, some of the show’s skaters who had previously stayed with the Brenegans visited them, and brought the entire ensemble for an impromptu party.”

Mr. Brenegan and his wife also enjoyed sharing their Guilford residence with family, friends and foreign exchange students from France and Japan.

Whenever the William & Mary soccer team played Loyola University of Maryland, the couple hosted a cookout for players and their families at their home.

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Mr. Brenegan and his wife were longtime active communicants of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, and traveled to Rome, where they had an audience with Pope John Paul II, at which time they presented the pontiff with a series of educational posters Mrs. Brenegan had created for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Mr. Brenegan was an avid golfer and had been a member of Eagle’s Nest Country Club in Phoenix in Baltimore County and had also for many years played in the Lobster Pot Invitational, a pro-am tournament, that is held in Bermuda.

He also enjoyed attending Orioles games and volunteering with a baseball program that benefited underprivileged youth.

After moving to Hilton Head three years ago, he and his wife enjoyed hosting family events and dinners at their home.

“He was just a wonderful and generous man who had a great sense of humor and loved to socialize,” his sister-in-law said. “His eyes twinkled and lips pulled to a smile when he’d lean forward to share a humorous story.”

A Mass of Christian Burial was offered Thursday at Saint Bede Roman Catholic Church in Williamsburg.

In addition to his wife of 50 years and Ms. Funk, he is survived by a brother, John Brenegan of Chesapeake, Virginia; sisters, Carol Ann Linville and Debbie Spim, both of Williamsburg; and many nieces and nephews.