It’s not clear when Duchess Variety Store opened, though the faded lettering on the brown brick exterior suggests it was decades ago. Entering the shop, said longtime customer Ken Winters, “was like walking back a couple years.”

The prices matched the frozen-in-time feel: about $2.50 for a bologna sandwich. Milkshakes were just $3.75.

To many Howard County residents, it seemed like the little deli at 4126 Old Columbia Pike in Ellicott City had just always been there, and perhaps always would be. Until last week, when the front door was locked, a “closed permanently” sign in the window.

The shop had been singlehandedly run by “Ms. Maggie,” who eschewed publicity, declining to be interviewed by a reporter several months ago. Behind the beige formica counter of her deli, she was warm, but not typically big on small talk. “She didn’t have the time,” Winters said.

Online records list the business’ owner as Magdolna Kovacs, a resident of Howard County. No one answered the door at her address or responded to a note left there.

The middle of the store was left empty to allow space for the often formidable lines that formed around lunchtime. Customers had to be patient with Ms. Maggie. “She was very focused,” Winters said ”… but she wasn’t fast.”

God help the person who tried to order for a crowd. Last year, a commenter on the Howard County Eats Facebook page rebuked those who came in requesting 10 sandwiches and 5 milkshakes without ordering ahead. “The line backup due to large orders is not fair to anyone including the owner,” she wrote. The post received 200 likes and dozens of comments, mostly along the lines of: “AGREEEEEE!!!”

In her own quiet way, Ms. Maggie packed love and attention to detail in every sandwich, along with mountains of meat. Her sandwich-preparing techniques reminded chef Johntay Bedingfield of his grandmother, how she would slice a tomato while holding it in her hand, pulling the knife toward her palm. “I would never let my cooks do that,” he laughed.

But she would occasionally open up to those who walked in the door. In March 2022, a commenter on the Howard County Eats Facebook page urged residents to stop by and congratulate the owner on 50 years in business.

In retrospect, Winters said, there were hints that something was up. The selection of chips and cookies had dwindled in recent weeks. Online, customers recalled that the ice cream freezer broke down a while back, and Ms. Maggie refused offers from patrons to fundraise or buy her a new one.

Winters said he learned the shop closed last week, after a coworker tried to stop by Duchess for lunch. When he told friends the news, they “just fell apart.” A post about the closure on Facebook received hundreds of reactions.

The store “was a beloved fixture in Ellicott City, loved by locals and those ‘in the know’ about this special shop,” wrote Kristi Simon, president and CEO of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce. In addition to its delicious sandwiches and milkshakes, Simon wrote, it was Maggie’s warmth and dedication that truly set it apart. “While locals are saddened by the closing, we’re grateful for years of delicious food and memories at the Duchess and hope Mrs. Kovacs is enjoying a well-deserved retirement.”

Winters wants to honor Ms. Maggie, whom he calls “an absolute gift to the community.” On the Howard County Eats Facebook page, he floated the idea of having a sendoff for her at the nearby VFW. He checked in with firefighters at a fire station across the street to see if they knew where she was.

But later on, Winters hesitated. Given how hard it was to reach her, Ms. Maggie might not want all that.

“It’s like she just closed the door and went home,” he said. “I think she’s done.”