What is the best way to honor H. Furlong Baldwin’s memory? If he were here now, he’d probably ask that people “remember me as I was,” longtime friend A.B. “Buzzy” Krongard said.

Baldwin, as he was, is difficult to summarize: a prominent Baltimore banker who ran Mercantile-Safe Deposit and Trust Co. for decades before it was sold to PNC. A savvy and influential leader who knew how to navigate difficult situations in business and politics. A former NASDAQ chairman. A philanthropist who was dedicated to the success of the Johns Hopkins University and served on the boards of more than a dozen nonprofits.

A historian who revered Eyre Hall, the Virginia estate in his family since 1668 that is now a national historic landmark. A Marine veteran, a lacrosse player, a father, a loving companion, a friend known to those closest to him as “Baldy.” The list goes on.

“Baldy was very forthright. I mean, if you spent a half an hour with him, you’d know pretty much everything about his view of things,” said Krongard, a Baltimore native who led Alex. Brown & Sons and served as executive director of the CIA. “You knew what was on his mind. You knew what he stood for, what he liked; you knew what he didn’t like. He was out in front, pretty much about everything, and his life reflected that.”

Baldwin, known in Maryland and nationwide for his business acumen and civic engagement, died Dec. 7 from complications of multiple myeloma. He was 92.

Baldwin was born in Baltimore on Jan. 15, 1932, to Henry du Pont Baldwin and Margaret Eyre Taylor. He attended the Calvert School, where he earned the nickname “Baldy” — for his last name, not his hair — and later graduated from the Gilman School, where classmates voted him the third “most typical Gilmanite,” The Baltimore Sun reported in a 1994 profile.

He went to Princeton University to study history. That’s where he met Krongard, who was four years his junior but played on the same lacrosse team. Baldwin was a “big guy” and a reliable teammate, his friend said. After college, Baldwin enlisted in the Marine Corps — a two-year experience that fundamentally changed his outlook on life and his career, according to friends and family.

“Princeton meant comparatively little to him compared to his two years in the Marine Corps,” said Louise Hayman, Baldwin’s companion of 37 years. “He said, ‘That was my business school.’ People would say, ‘Don’t you have an MBA?’ And he’d say, ‘Nope, I was in the Marine Corps. That was my business school.’”

He started working at Mercantile in 1956 with no experience in banking, but he learned quickly and steadily moved up the company ladder. By age 38, he was president of the bank; less than a decade later, he was the CEO of its parent company. His conservative and thoughtful leadership helped the bank stay afloat even during the most tumultuous financial times.

Morris Offit met Baldwin after joining Mercantile in 1960. Baldwin gave a good first impression. “He was a true Southern gentleman, just a lovely man with a very engaging personality, and you just knew he was a man of great character,” Offit said.

They bonded over mutual interests and a shared worldview. “We didn’t suffer fools lightly,” Offit said. Anyone else, though? Baldwin was relatable and affable, a man of “uncommon integrity” who was always equipped with a kind word, his friend said. It’s what made him a good leader.

“The older you get, the word ‘trust’ means something, and people had an implicit trust in Baldy, the way he ran the bank,” Offit said. “The bank had an extraordinary reputation.”

As did Baldwin. Some referred to him as “Mr. Maryland,” knowing his incredible influence in Annapolis and in some of the state’s major institutions, including Hopkins. Baldwin served on the boards of the university, hospital and other affiliated institutions throughout his life, and the hospital credits him in part for the $30 million it received from the state in 1993 to open a new cancer center.

Baldwin’s philanthropic efforts and community involvement extended to other organizations that worked on historical preservation, economic development, education and arts and culture, Hayman said. He was very involved in The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore and regularly brought politicians and business leaders on trips to Israel.

There were causes he championed not out of personal passion but just because he thought it was the right thing to do, she said. He was never a fan of symphonies, she said, and yet he raised some $40 million to save the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra because he thought it was important for the community.

“He was generous to people that no one has an idea about,” Hayman said.

He was also a member of the Maryland State Spending Affordability Committee and the Maryland Economic Development Commission. He had national impact, too, and served on more than a dozen corporate boards in his lifetime, Hayman said.

His work meant everything to him, Hayman said, but Baldwin was extremely good at compartmentalizing.

“I never saw a person who could switch gears so fast,” she said. “We would be returning from a vacation or just having a lovely evening out or something with friends, and the next day, he had to deal with something really unpleasant and difficult. And he would switch gears into that challenging, difficult part of his life. He would not let it ruin what was in the moment.”

Outside of his professional life, Eyre Hall was “his love” and second home, Hayman said. Baldwin enjoyed retreating to the Virginia estate on the weekends, even while his Baltimore colleagues would go to galas or professional events, and he could often be found clipping bushes or riding along the property in his pickup truck. The couple shared a love for the Eastern Shore, where Eyre Hall sits.

“He felt an incredible obligation to be a good steward for this property,” Hayman said.

Baldwin was also a father of two children, Severn Eyre Baldwin and Mary “Molly” Baldwin. He cherished his relationship with his granddaughter, Grace, and died proudly knowing she will one day inherit Eyre Hall, Hayman said.

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