Thomas W. Muth
Ranger, taxidermist
Thomas W. Muth, a retired Maryland park ranger who maintained a taxidermy shop and museum at his Sykesville home, died there Feb. 11 of cancer. He was 62.
The museum included all of the hawks and owls native to Maryland and many from other states. It also had full-sized displays of animals he had stuffed, many in their natural habitats, including a 7-foot standing black bear and a mountain lion attacking a deer.
Mr. Muth learned his skills at age 12 through a correspondence course of the Northwest School of Taxidermy. His interest in taxidermy also led him to an interest in Native American culture.
Born in Stevensville, he lived in the Strawbridge Methodist Home for Boys in Sykesville after the death of his father.
Later, he attended Boys' Latin School before graduating from Catonsville High School.
He retired about 10 years ago after 18 years as a ranger at Patapsco State Park and was a bank messenger until 1992. In the early 1960s, he was a Baltimore firefighter.
Fond of swimming and exercising at the Westminster YMCA, he was also interested in cycling and completed the 376-mile, seven-day Cycle Across Maryland bicycle tour last July.
A memorial service was to be held at 2 p.m. today at Friendship Baptist Church in Sykesville.
He is survived by his wife of 36 years, the former Peggy Schafer; two sons, Daniel W. Muth of Sykesville and Timothy A. Muth of Pittsboro, N.C.; his mother, Rosalie Tolson of Baltimore; and a grandson.
Memorial donations may be made to the Carroll County Hospice or the Friendship Baptist Church building fund.
Kathleen M. Martin, 77, who retired as Dulaney High School's librarian 12 years ago, died Tuesday of cancer at her Towson home. In retirement, she worked part-time in Baltimore County libraries in Towson, Rosedale and Parkville.
The Chahalis, Wash., native and University of Washington graduate had been a librarian in several western states before moving to Baltimore in 1965. She worked in Stemmers Run Middle School's library before transferring to Dulaney.
memorial service was held yesterday in Towson. Survivors include two sons, Charles M. Martin of Racine, Wis., and John S. Martin of Portland, Ore.; two daughters, Mary K. Martin of Denver, and Anne E. Bolles of Bonners Ferry, Idaho; a sister, Anne Heinzinger of Seattle; and 10 grandchildren.
Jeffrey P. Pitts, 46, a virologist who was director of research and development for Becton Dickinson Advanced Diagnostics in Loveton Center in Sparks for four years, died Feb. 9 of cancer at his home in Phoenix.
At his death, he had begun to work in a similar post at Miles Laboratories in Tarrytown, N.Y.
The native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was reared in Pottstown, Pa., where a Mass of Christian burial was offered Feb. 11.
He is survived by his wife, the former Audrey A. Baldassari; a son, Christopher P. Iltis; a daughter, Julia E. Iltis, both of Phoenix; his parents, C. Peter and Jean Iltis of Englewood, Fla.; two brothers, Peter D. Iltis of Barto, Pa., and J. Stephen Iltis of Sarasota, Fla.; and a sister, Dorothy Cooper of Havertown, Pa.