William B. Love, real estate salesman
William B. Love, who spent nearly 40 years in real estate sales and whose charitable interests included the Make-A-Wish Foundation, died Oct. 4 from a brain tumor at Symphony Manor in Roland Park. The Mays chapel resident was 75.
William Baylis Love was born in Roanoke, Va., the son of George Love, an official with Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co., and Baylis Love, a homemaker.
He settled with his family on Labelle Avenue in Ruxton in 1950 and attended St. Paul’s School when its campus was located in Mount Washington. He continued there after it relocated to its present Brooklandville campus.
After graduating in 1960, he enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and received a bachelor’s degree in 1964.
He began his real estate career after college, then joined the Maryland National Guard. Interest rates were high in the real estate field, so after being discharged he went into club management for a time at the Baltimore Country Club.
In 1965, he married the former Jane Dugan, whose father was owner of Dugan Leather Co., a saddlery business.
He managed the business for several years before returning to real estate sales in 1982, joining the firm of O’Conor Piper & Flynn. The firm later became Coldwell Banker.
Mr. Love was joined in his real estate work by his wife. The couple specialized in northern Baltimore County properties, especially Ruxton, Riderwood, Towson and Lutherville.
He was a communicant at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Ruxton, and was gifted with an outgoing and friendly personality — along with a rapier wit.
It was not uncommon to see Mr. Love, dressed in his trademark gray trousers and blue blazer, standing alongside a road after attending Sunday church services, and hammering a “For Sale” sign into the ground and decorating it with balloons.
He was aware of the social cachet attached to Ruxton as a sale point for potential buyers and sellers. He once told a reporter for The Baltimore Sun that when selling a house in nearby communities, “Ruxton extends all the way to the Pennsylvania state line.”
Mr. Love retired last year after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.
He enjoyed thoroughbred racing but never bet more than $5, his wife said. He dreamed of owning a race horse — so he created a horse syndicate with friends and acquaintances. Over a period of 15 years, he had “almost 30 winner circle pictures to brag about,” Mrs. Love said. He also presided over an annual “State of the Horse” party.
Mr. Love was also an inveterate college basketball fan, and used the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. His wife said that over the years he raised more than $100,000 for the organization.
“He had so much fun doing this,” she said.
Mr. Love, lived on Campbell Lane in West Towson for 26 years, and in Riderwood, before moving to Mays Chapel. He liked spending time at a second home he and his wife owned in Bethany Beach, Del.
A “Celebration of Love” service will be held at 10 a.m. Oct. 20 at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles St.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Jody Love of Lutherville and Jamie Love of Los Angeles; a brother, Tom Love of Centreville in Queen Anne’s County; and three grandchildren.