The passing of Charles McC. Mathias Jr. this week is the passing of an era -- for Maryland, the state he served in Congress for a quarter-century, and for the nation. But does it have to be the passing of his legacy of integrity, bipartisanship and a willingness to solve problems across the political aisle?

The answer to that question should be a firm "no." For many of us, Senator Mathias was and will continue to be a role model, an example of what the American founders saw as necessary to make democracy work. Through 35 years of friendship, shared causes and sometimes differing views, I found that his "basics" never changed.

Those basics included working with others with whom he may have disagreed on issues and politics. It took strength and integrity to work and vote as a moderate, and Mac demonstrated that integrity on a range of issues, such as civil rights and campaign finance reform. He favored legislation that balanced the need for fiscal responsibility with innovation to help people. Observing that balance in Mac Mathias provided real lessons during my White House fellowship tenure at the Office of Management and Budget.

Although my feelings of sadness at the loss of my friend are deep, I also hear a voice saying: "Don't waste time remembering me! It's time for government to work; it's time for politics to be less partisan." Like a friendly but firm teacher, Mac sends a message that is clearly needed today. Members of Congress and the executive branch must go beyond the next headline, deadline or opportunity to blast an opposing candidate. They must be willing, as Mac was, to reach across the aisle to their opponents. In that context, his people skills remind me of the quiet leadership Milton Eisenhower gave to the presidency of the Johns Hopkins University.

Health care is one example of the need for a bipartisan process to work toward a solution. Why can't a balance be found between the cost of a publicly funded initiative and some recognition of the need for limits on lawsuit abuse that has driven doctors out of practice or discouraged others from considering medicine as a career? Why cannot Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and their equally inflexible opponents move toward an early joint conference approach? If a Mac Mathias-type legislator were working the process, Congress and the White House would likely hammer out a result that gives realistic, fiscally possible health care access to more people.

I was engaged in several endeavors in which Mac Mathias provided real examples of how to get things done without noise or self-promotion. Quietly but firmly, he secured federal funding commitments for reducing Chesapeake Bay pollution and protecting the bay as a national (not just local) resource. He remained consistent in his ethical conduct, declining campaign contributions of more than $100 -- unheard of in these days of fat-cat PACs and the recent Supreme Court decision that blurs the distinction between freedom of speech and unlimited campaign spending by big corporations and labor unions.

The Mathias ethic included a commitment to American democracy. That commitment was based on history and heritage. As if it were yesterday, I remember working with him after being persuaded to chair an advisory committee for "The Documentary History of the First Federal Congress of the United States of America." This fascinating series, published by the Hopkins Press, brought forth information about a Congress where members began legislative tasks by working across differences on issues and funding. The fiscal resources of 1789-91 were minuscule compared to our 21st century government operations. I found the most interesting part of the experience the way in which Mac Mathias convinced then-Speaker Carl Albert that House and Senate should work together on sponsoring these volumes.

Mac, thank you for you gift of combining integrity with knowledge and a sense of what democracy is really all about. Let us, as Marylanders and citizens, keep this combination out front and encourage members of Congress and the president to do the same in the difficult days ahead. In this way, we will be putting the Mac Mathias legacy to work.

George S. Wills is chairman of Wills & Associates, a Baltimore/Washington public relations/communications firm. His e-mail is gswills@aol.com.