Raymond Donald Bahr

RAYMOND DONALD BAHR departed this earthly life on Wednesday, January 14, at the blessed age of 90. He was preceded in death by his loving wife Patricia, and is survived by his children, Catherine (Tom) Eskey, Julie Snyder, Raymond (Maureen Becker) Bahr, Mary Carole (Fred) Jorgensen; his sister Mary Ann Schwartz and sister-in-law Carole Fowler; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Dr. Bahr was a well-known cardiologist, Canton historian, and advocate for social justice and environmental issues.

Ray was born at City Hospital (now Bayview), and grew up on South Bouldin Street in Canton. He attended elementary school at Saint Brigid’s School in Canton, and Loyola High School in Towson, from which he graduated in 1953. He worked nights and weekends at Felix Kaminski’s Pharmacy at the corner of East Avenue and O’Donnell Street to help fund his education. There, he was inspired to attend pharmacy school at the University of Maryland.

After earning his pharmacy degree in 1957, he went on to attend and graduate from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He did an externship at Saint Agnes Hospital, where he met his wife, Patricia Grim, R.N., whom he married in 1962 at Saint Brigid’s Church. After graduation, he completed an internship at Saint Agnes, served in the U.S. Public Health Service with oncology training in Buffalo and Baltimore, and later completed a residency in internal medicine at City Hospital (Bayview), helping to establish the Coronary Care Unit.

In 1967, he was appointed Chief Resident of Internal Medicine at Saint Agnes. In 1968, he was named director of the Intensive Care Unit, and established a CCU. He held the position of CCU Director until his retirement, while also maintaining a private practice specializing in cardiology.

In 1981, inspired by the renowned cardiologist Paul Dudley White, Jr., he established the nation’s first Chest Pain Center within the Emergency Department. He launched the Early Heart Attack Care (EHAC) program, a nation-wide public education effort designed to raise awareness that “heart attacks have beginnings.” This campaign included the Bart Giammatti EHAC Program, which was implemented in all 28 Major League Baseball parks in the 1990s. He was a founding member of the Society of Chest Pain Centers and Providers, an organization that later evolved into the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care and is now ACC Accreditation Review Services.

He retired from the hospital in 2003 and from private practice in 2005 but continued to champion early heart attack care by advocating and providing access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at the Hippodrome Theatre and other public buildings in Baltimore until his death.

Ray and his wife Pat moved into Canton Cove in 2001 and became active in the community and at Saint Vincent de Paul Parish. He joined the Baltimore Harbor Watershed Association (now Blue Water Baltimore) and was project manager for the Harris Creek Watershed Project, the goal of which was to reduce the volume of trash entering the harbor via Harris Creek.

In 2010, Ray launched the Canton History Project to raise awareness about the history of the Canton Company and its role as the epicenter of the Industrial Revolution in Baltimore. He researched, designed, and secured funding for eight historical markers and two interpretive signs highlighting the history of Canton. In addition, he placed a marker at the site of Saint Brigid’s Catholic Church and Parish School. His research also brought to light significant details about Frederick Douglass’ escape route, specifically, the location of the Canton Depot of the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad from which he departed. At the time of his death, he had embarked upon an effort to obtain National Historic Landmark status for the Railroad Transfer Bridge off of Canton Waterfront Park and had begun planning for the 200th anniversary of the Canton Can Company in 2028.

Ray enjoyed spending time in Cambridge and Ocean City, sailing, and traveling abroad with his wife, Pat. He followed the Orioles since they came to Baltimore in 1954, when he used to hear the radio announcers through the painted screen doors as he walked through Canton. He was an avid Colts’ fan, and recounted Johnny Unitas’ visits to Saint Agnes, saying he was “not only the greatest quarterback of all time, but also a great man”. He became a Ravens fan upon their arrival in 1996 and followed them through their last game of this season.

He and Pat were parishioners at Saint Vincent de Paul Parish and active with the Beyond the Boundaries Program, which addresses racial injustice and affordable housing in Baltimore City; the Resource Exchange, which provides assistance to persons emerging from addiction, homelessness, and incarceration; and feeding the homeless. He was a subscriber to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Pops Series and the Broadway Touring productions at the Hippodrome Theatre, and enjoyed movies at the Charles. He embraced each new day with gusto and never tired of watching boats and sunsets.

Ray was truly the center of his family—both in spirit and in nearly every family photograph. He led with love, constantly teaching and guiding, and he had an incredible gift for celebrating every occasion, big or small. He approached each day with unwavering positivity, sometimes referred to as his “blue sky thinking,” always finding joy no matter the circumstances and sharing that joy with everyone around him.

Visitation will be held at the Sterling-Ashton-Schwab-Witzke Funeral Home of Catonsville, Inc. (1630 Edmondson Avenue) on Thursday, January 22, 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. (includes Vigil Service). Additional visitation will take place at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, located at 120 N. Front St, on Friday, January 23, from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. The Funeral Mass will follow at the same location, beginning at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, Dr. Bahr requested donations be made to Health Care for the Homeless (https://www.hchmd.org/) or The Resource Exchange of St. Vincent de Paul Church (https://stvchurch.org/the-resource-exchange).