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Former Sen. Richard Colburn dies

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DENTON – Former Sen. Richard Colburn of Cambridge passed away Friday, Dec. 27. He was 74.

Colburn, a Republican, served as a senator representing Maryland’s 37th District for 20 years, from 1995 to 2015. He represented Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot and Wicomico Counties, succeeding Sen. Frederick Malkus Jr.

“Everybody's shocked, saddened and heartbroken to hear that he's passed, especially during the holidays,” State Sen. Johnny Mautz (R-37), said. “I think most people would think of Rich as a person with more life to live.”

“He may have been 74, but he had just as much spunk as one of those interns running around the hallway,” Mautz said. “I mean, he was always into stuff, always. He never relented. He was a get-up-and-go, full-speed-ahead personality that never slowed down.”

“Rich was a very effective senator,” Caroline County Commission Vice President Larry Porter said. “Once he got his mind on something, he worked very hard for it, and he was pretty relentless.”

“He was a very good representative for the people in this area,” Porter said. Despite debilitating back problems in recent years, “he was a pretty energetic guy.”

Colburn was a driving force behind the Dover Bridge replacement project, and worked closely with George Jackson of American Corner in pushing for the current span across the Choptank River at Tanyard, Porter said.

“I know he was proud of a range of accomplishments, like the Dover Bridge,” Dorchester County Councilman Mike Detmer posted on Facebook. “Rich Colburn was a dedicated public servant who worked on issues big and small with thoroughness and tenacity. There are many things … that benefit us locally that he played a key role in.”

Born Feb. 9, 1950, in Easton and raised in Oxford, Colburn graduated from Easton High School and went on to earn an associate’s degree from Chesapeake College. He served from 1969 to 1972 in the U.S. Army Security Agency, earning a Good Conduct Medal. He worked for A&P/SuperFresh for many years and as manager of the Town of Federalsburg from 1991 to 2015.

Colburn and his wife Alma have one daughter, Johanna Hamilton, her husband Bobby and their daughter, Saylor.

Colburn was a member of the House of Delegates, representing District 37, from 1983 to 1991. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1988. Over the years, he won several awards, served on numerous legislative committees and caucuses, and was involved in his church and civic groups.

“Through decades of tireless service, he went to bat for his neighbors on the Eastern Shore and across the state,” Detmer posted. “A participant in local politics since the days when JFK visited Cambridge as a candidate for president, Rich told me he was proud that his career of public service spanned seven different governors’ administrations.”

Mautz said not many people knew “that (Colburn) went out of his way to do things for people and did not take credit for it.”

“Some things he would take credit for that are well-documented and well-understood, but there are a lot of people on the Eastern Shore and throughout the state of Maryland – he's done things to help them and provide them a lot of relief, a lot of help, and he really didn't ask for any fanfare. He just did it because it was the right thing to do,” Mautz said.

Mautz, who grew up in St. Michaels, looked up to Colburn for his “insight, authority and influence.”

“He was just widely respected throughout his career in the legislature, and even after that,” Mautz said. “When I got involved in politics, he did nothing but trying to help, mentor, provide advice, provide support, and I'll be forever grateful for all the support and help that he's given me.”

Mautz said one of Colburn’s hallmarks was that he was a “brilliant, brilliant person” and legislative strategist. Even when Colburn was running for reelection against former Sen. Addie Eckhardt, then-Senate President Mike Miller, a Democrat, campaigned for Colburn, calling him the “most effective person in Annapolis,” Mautz said.

“I will truly miss our rambling inside baseball conversations and his wry sense of humor as a friend, and I will also miss his advice and mentorship as someone who is trying to follow the same path that he walked: trying to make (a) mark by trying to make a difference,” Detmer posted.

“Our community will truly be lesser without his purposeful and effective advocacy,” Detmer posted.

“Rich is going to be sorely missed, without a doubt, by everyone, and especially in the political world,” Mautz said.

This story was updated Dec. 28, 2024, 9:52 am.