Family, Friends, Politicos Mourn MD House Speaker Mike Busch

By David Jahng and Natalie Jones, Capital News Service

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Family, friends, Gov. Larry Hogan and other public officials gathered to say a final goodbye to former Maryland House Speaker Michael Busch, whose funeral Mass was celebrated Tuesday. Before the service, a small crowd gathered as Busch — who had been lying in state since Monday — was escorted out of the State House for the last time by the Maryland State Police Honor Guard.

Except for bagpipes playing, it was silent as his wife and two daughters, along with other family, friends and his chief of staff, followed the casket. The procession traveled around State Circle and moved to St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Annapolis, where hundreds packed into the pews to honor the speaker.

At the funeral, Busch's two daughters shared stories of their father's commitment to his family at home and in the legislature. “My father was honorable, he was kind, he was fair and he cared for us with a passion,” Megan Busch, the speaker’s younger daughter, said.

“He was my teacher, my coach and my best buddy,” said Erin Busch, the speaker’s older daughter. “I love you, Dad, and thank you for everything.”

Current and former legislators, as well as friends, praised Busch for his leadership and integrity.

“He wasn’t just speaker of the House, he was speaker of us all,” said D. Bruce Poole, past chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party and former delegate from Washington County.

“He was a magnificent leader, and he wore compassion on his sleeve,” said Gil Genn, former delegate from Montgomery County.

Genn served with Busch in the House of Delegates from 1987 to 1999 and also played softball with the speaker from time to time, he said.

Busch had an “open door policy unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Delegate Carl Anderton Jr., R-Wicomico, said.

Busch was not in the legislature to be a Democrat or Republican, he was there to represent all Marylanders, Anderton said.

Ray Leone, a former Maryland Parent Teacher Association president and candidate for the Anne Arundel County Board of Education, remembered how he and Busch used to point at each other in a crowd when they saw each other.

Leone was a constituent in Busch’s district, and the two knew each other well enough to be on “hugging terms,” according to Leone, who recalled Busch wrapping him in big bear hugs.

“He had a sense about him, he went out of his way to make people feel comfortable,” Leone told Capital News Service.

Musicians shared solemn songs before and after the Mass. Robert Wallace, an Annapolis resident who said he knew Busch for 30 years, played “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes during the speaker’s procession.

Busch did great things and was a good person whose legacy will be hard to beat, Wallace said.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan presented the Busch family with a state flag that was flown over the State House on April 7 and draped over the casket. (See the text of Hogan's eulogy in full below, as released by his office.)

The family then watched the casket be placed into a hearse, before turning away in tears.

Busch died unexpectedly on April 7 after a bout with pneumonia, one day before the end of the 2019 legislative session.

His term as speaker of the House lasted 16 years, the longest in state history.

The speaker’s burial will be private, according to the John M. Taylor Funeral Home in Annapolis.

Here is the eulogy Gov. Larry Hogan delivered Tuesday at the funeral service for Speaker Michael Busch:

It is an honor to be here on behalf of all the people of Maryland as we celebrate the life and the legacy of an outstanding Marylander and a dedicated public servant, the 106th Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, Michael Erin Busch.

First, I want to express my deepest condolences and sympathies to his wife Cindy, his daughters Erin and Megan, his sisters Gail, Laurie, and Susan, to his entire family, and to all those who loved him.

Just days before he passed away, I was fortunate to have had the chance to share a few last words with the Speaker.

I had called him in the hospital just to check in on him and to let him know that we were all thinking of him and praying for him.

A few years earlier, he had done the same thing for me when I was facing my battle with cancer. That’s the kind of person Mike Busch was.

He and I had a heart-to-heart about how the partisan battles and the political rivalries were really not all that important, and we agreed that what really mattered was our families and loved ones and the profound sense of pride that comes with serving the people of Maryland.

As a young man, Mike Busch was a local star on the football field. In college, he broke Temple University’s single-game rushing record and had hopes of one day playing in the NFL before a knee injury derailed that dream.

He earned a degree in history and returned back home to Annapolis where he began teaching and coaching at his alma mater, St. Mary’s High School.

In 1986, Mike Busch turned to politics. He won his first election to the House of Delegates that year. He attributed the victory to all the kids 'he taught, coached, refereed, or tossed out of the swimming pool' over the years.

Throughout his career, Mike Busch built an incredible reputation for being a fearless advocate and a true champion for the people he represented.

He tackled tough issues like healthcare and worked passionately to improve education and to protect the Chesapeake Bay.

Speaker Busch and I came from different sides of the aisle, but we often found a way to come together in the best interest of the people of this great state.

I truly feel honored to have known him and fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with him.

Like the House chamber where he served for 32 years and that he led as speaker for the past 17 sessions, Mike Busch was a strong pillar of Maryland’s state government.

He leaves an indelible mark on this city, on our state, and on all of our hearts.

Mike Busch will be deeply missed, but he will not be forgotten. His enduring legacy will continue to live on through his loving family, through his colleagues who will continue the important work he dedicated so much of his life to, and through the countless lives he touched during his incredible life.

On behalf of all the citizens of the state that he loved so much and served so well for so long, we say thank you, God bless you, and farewell.

Mr. Speaker, may you rest in peace.