Bauserman, owner of Maryland Airport, dies
Gilbert Lee “Gil” Bauserman, the owner, operator and CEO of the Maryland Airport, died April 11. He was 73.
Tammy Potter, Bauserman’s daughter, said many people know him as the owner of the Maryland airport, but he was much more than that, she said.
“I just remember, every time I’d go somewhere with him and my mom,” Potter said,
“I used to tease them and say every time we go out to dinner I feel like I’m famous because everybody is always catering to your needs because they love you.”
Bauserman was always bright and happy, she said, whether he was talking about the airport or talking about his family. It is “hard to say” exactly how much he meant to the people around him, she said, because he touched so many people. But no matter what, she said, he always preached kindness and respect for all people.
But more than anything else, she said, one thing sticks out for her.
“It’s that I can make something positive out of negative no matter what the circumstances if I just hold onto my faith and press on and move forward,” Potter said. “And to not give up on my dreams.”
Bauserman was a man who always followed his dreams and had goals for himself and his family, she said. He started operating the airport in the early 1960s.
The airport was founded in 1943 by the Bauserman family. After a stint in the Navy, Gil Bauserman dedicated himself to running it and making it a viable option and economic pillar for Charles County.
Sue Greer, a lawyer and partner at the Greer Law Firm in La Plata, said Bauserman’s legacy behind the airport is something that has the potential to serve the county for generations.
“His legacy was his and his family’s,” Greer said. “And you’ve got to mention Jack Crawford. They wanted the creation and expansion of the airport as something that would serve the county and children of the county.”
At one point, Charles County Commissioner Debra Davis (D) said the airport was the future of economic viability in Charles County. For many people, she said, it still was. His passion was infectious, she said.
“His passion and his vision for our county: He fought tirelessly to bring that airport to fruition and enlarge that airport because he believed in it,” Davis said.
For years, Davis said, she had worked with Bauserman as a partner and wanted to help him bring his vision to life. In recent times, she said, he was hit with opposition from a number of different angles but was never deterred.
He continued fighting for what he believed in, she said, and that was all that mattered to him. He was soft-spoken, but whenever the airport was a topic of discussion he had the loudest voice in the room. He did what he loved, she said.
“He was happy,” Davis said. “He was in great spirits. He was very happy.”
Bauserman had the vision, Greer said, of seeing what the airport could do for the people of the county. And he never let go of that vision, she said. Now, she said, the community has the responsibility to make sure that dream is completed.
Potter agreed and said her father’s goals are now hers. The expansion of the airport and the establishment of it as an economic engine for Charles County along with making it a real reliever option for Regan National Airport is something she feels she must do now.
“I want to do everything I can to make that happen,” Potter said. “I want to finish up that master plan. Do everything I can to make his dream come true, his vision come to fruition. That’s very important to me.”
Obituary information from Raymond Funeral Home in La Plata states funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 19, at the Indian Head Pavillion, 100 Walter Thomas Road. Interment will follow at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf.