Donald G. Gaither, member of Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners and mortician, dies

Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun
·3 min read

Donald G. Gaither, a member of the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners who had a long career as a mortician, died of cancer Feb. 5 at his West Baltimore home. He was 96.

Born in Baltimore and raised in Calverton Heights, he was the son of Augustus Gaither, a warehouseman, and Rebecca Gaither, a homemaker. He was a 1946 Frederick Douglass High School graduate who became a radio operator aboard the Navy’s USS Cone.

His granddaughter, Larai Gaither, said he was the ship’s first Black radio operator.

Mr. Gaither married Alberta L. Scott, a Baltimore City government worker, in 1952.

He became a civilian Army employee at Fort Meade in 1955 and later joined the National Security Agency. He retired in 1998.

He then sought a career change and enrolled at Catonsville Community College where he received a mortuary science degree.

He became a licensed mortician in 1998 and began his apprenticeship at Joseph Russ Funeral Home in West Baltimore. After seven years there, he joined the March Funeral Home’s East North Avenue location for two decades.

“Donald was the ultimate professional in the funeral industry,” said Erich March, an executive at his family’s business. “He was a true gentleman. He was a kind and generous person and brought genuine compassion to the families he served.

“Donald was really a remarkable individual. He drove his own car until a few weeks ago,” Mr. March said.

He favored a 2004 Lexus and later a Honda Accord. He drove to lodge meetings, church, medical appointments and grocery stores, and never gave up his driver’s license.

Mr. Gaither joined the William F. Taylor Lodge No. 57 in 1960. He served as worshipful master from 1964 to 1966 and became past master once he left the seat.

He served on the Baltimore City School Commissioners Board from 1995 to 1999. He voted to terminate the contract of Education Alternatives Inc., a Minneapolis school management firm.

A 1996 Sun story said Mr. Gaither’s patience with the firm “has waned.”

Mr. Gaither also served on the War Memorial Commission from 2000 to 2004.

He traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, in 1996 with the Baltimore school board to inspect a new school built for male students.

Mr. Gaither had been an active member of Mount Winans United Methodist Church since the age of 18. He served on its financial committee and was on the usher board.

“My grandfather loved visiting his vacation home in Cape May, New Jersey,” said his granddaughter. “It was his place to rest and relax for over 40 years. He would ride his bike, and enjoyed swimming and repairing the house. He also kept flowers and vegetables.”

He was an avid Orioles and Ravens fan and would watch games with family.

He was a patron of Colin’s Seafood and Grill, where his 86th birthday was held.

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“My grandfather was quiet and laid-back, but when he spoke, it was a lesson in life,” his granddaughter said.

Services will be 11 a.m. Friday at the March East Funeral Home at 1100 E. North Ave.

Survivors include his granddaughter, Larai “Puddin” Gaither, of Baltimore; a sister, Laverne Fair, of Randallstown; and a niece and nephew.

His wife of 60 years, Alberta L. Scott Gaither, died in 2012. A daughter, Charlotte Doris “Kitty,” Gaither died in 2009, and another daughter, Donna R. Gaither-Jeter, died in 2022.