William Henry Temmink
1923 - 2025
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William Henry ("Bill") Temmink died peacefully on November 20, 2025 at age 102. A lifelong resident of Baltimore, he was born on July 18,1923. He lived a long and productive life dedicated to family, friends and country.
The oldest child of William Maurice Temmink, an insurance executive, and Mary Blum Temmink, a homemaker, his family soon grew to include three beloved sisters. He attended St. Mark Elementary School and Mt. St. Joseph High School in Catonsville. After graduation, he worked for a year at Glenn L. Martin. There he was a riveter on airplanes being built for Great Britain and France before France fell to Germany and the U.S. entered World War II.
At 17, while awaiting placement in the Navy's V12 College Training program, he completed one year of coursework at Loyola University in Baltimore. Under V12, Bill received training at Villanova, Columbia and Harvard. Commissioned as Ensign, he was assigned as a communications officer.
Bill served in the European, Mediterranean and Pacific Theaters. His first assignment was on a Liberty ship delivering humanitarian supplies to European ports and picking up returning servicemen. After the surrender of Japan, Bill was assigned to the USS Mount McKinley. He spent two months in Tokyo, where he saw the devastation caused by American bombing. For the return to the US, he was transferred to USS Iowa, where he served on the staff of the Commander.
After discharge from the Navy in 1946, Bill returned to Loyola. Upon graduation, he began his career with Shell Oil Company as a commercial sales representative to ships that called on the Port of Baltimore. Over the years his clients expanded to the Baltimore and DC transit companies, the Giant Food distribution center in Maryland, small airports in Maryland, and ships calling on the Port of Philadelphia.
In 1948, he married Mary Lee Friedel, whom he had met when she was 14 and he 16. The couple bought a 5,000 square foot unrenovated carriage house across Falls Road from the original Village of Cross Keys in Baltimore, which would also house the antique business of Mary Lee's mother. Bill and Mary Lee lived there for 36 years, raised six children and took care of elderly relatives. Bill did most of the renovation and maintenance of the house himself, planted numerous trees and shrubs and maintained a large garden. He built, refinished and repaired furniture and was a jack of all trades. Neighbors called Bill to get the pigeons out of their chimney, wake up over-celebrated guests on New Year's Day, give household advice and emergency rides. More distant family members visited, sometimes for months, and he flipped hamburgers, shucked corn and tended the bar. They were members of Shrine of the Sacred Heart Church, where he served as a Eucharistic Minister. In 1985 they moved to Dunlora Road in Ruxton, where he continued to garden, play poker, visit and travel with friends and family.
After Mary Lee died in 2006, he moved to the Pickersgill Retirement Community. He lived there independently until spring 2024, making new friends, recruiting new poker players, growing tomatoes and teasing the staff. When he was 100 years old he made the difficult decision to move to Pickersgill's Assisted Living.
Bill will be remembered for loyalty to his family, friends and church; his dry wit, equally dry martinis, gregariousness, and his woodworking, gardening and other practical skills.
He is survived by his children: Mary Duston Lidinsky; Karen Travlos; William Temmink (wife Elisa Kerr); John Roddy Temmink and (wife Randy Bill); Richard Temmink; Susan Layton (husband Richard); seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and beloved goddaughter Martha Roll. Sons-in-law Richard Lidinsky, Jr., and Constantine ("Gus") Travlos pre-deceased him.
A memorial mass and celebration of Bill's life is planned for Monday, January 5 2026, at 11 am in Church of the Nativity, 20 E. Ridgely Road, Timonium. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), NICWA.org; 500 S. Macadam Avenue, Ste 300, Portland, OR 97239, or the Pickersgill Retirement Community Benevolent Fund, 615 Chestnut Avenue, Towson, MD 21204.
The oldest child of William Maurice Temmink, an insurance executive, and Mary Blum Temmink, a homemaker, his family soon grew to include three beloved sisters. He attended St. Mark Elementary School and Mt. St. Joseph High School in Catonsville. After graduation, he worked for a year at Glenn L. Martin. There he was a riveter on airplanes being built for Great Britain and France before France fell to Germany and the U.S. entered World War II.
At 17, while awaiting placement in the Navy's V12 College Training program, he completed one year of coursework at Loyola University in Baltimore. Under V12, Bill received training at Villanova, Columbia and Harvard. Commissioned as Ensign, he was assigned as a communications officer.
Bill served in the European, Mediterranean and Pacific Theaters. His first assignment was on a Liberty ship delivering humanitarian supplies to European ports and picking up returning servicemen. After the surrender of Japan, Bill was assigned to the USS Mount McKinley. He spent two months in Tokyo, where he saw the devastation caused by American bombing. For the return to the US, he was transferred to USS Iowa, where he served on the staff of the Commander.
After discharge from the Navy in 1946, Bill returned to Loyola. Upon graduation, he began his career with Shell Oil Company as a commercial sales representative to ships that called on the Port of Baltimore. Over the years his clients expanded to the Baltimore and DC transit companies, the Giant Food distribution center in Maryland, small airports in Maryland, and ships calling on the Port of Philadelphia.
In 1948, he married Mary Lee Friedel, whom he had met when she was 14 and he 16. The couple bought a 5,000 square foot unrenovated carriage house across Falls Road from the original Village of Cross Keys in Baltimore, which would also house the antique business of Mary Lee's mother. Bill and Mary Lee lived there for 36 years, raised six children and took care of elderly relatives. Bill did most of the renovation and maintenance of the house himself, planted numerous trees and shrubs and maintained a large garden. He built, refinished and repaired furniture and was a jack of all trades. Neighbors called Bill to get the pigeons out of their chimney, wake up over-celebrated guests on New Year's Day, give household advice and emergency rides. More distant family members visited, sometimes for months, and he flipped hamburgers, shucked corn and tended the bar. They were members of Shrine of the Sacred Heart Church, where he served as a Eucharistic Minister. In 1985 they moved to Dunlora Road in Ruxton, where he continued to garden, play poker, visit and travel with friends and family.
After Mary Lee died in 2006, he moved to the Pickersgill Retirement Community. He lived there independently until spring 2024, making new friends, recruiting new poker players, growing tomatoes and teasing the staff. When he was 100 years old he made the difficult decision to move to Pickersgill's Assisted Living.
Bill will be remembered for loyalty to his family, friends and church; his dry wit, equally dry martinis, gregariousness, and his woodworking, gardening and other practical skills.
He is survived by his children: Mary Duston Lidinsky; Karen Travlos; William Temmink (wife Elisa Kerr); John Roddy Temmink and (wife Randy Bill); Richard Temmink; Susan Layton (husband Richard); seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and beloved goddaughter Martha Roll. Sons-in-law Richard Lidinsky, Jr., and Constantine ("Gus") Travlos pre-deceased him.
A memorial mass and celebration of Bill's life is planned for Monday, January 5 2026, at 11 am in Church of the Nativity, 20 E. Ridgely Road, Timonium. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), NICWA.org; 500 S. Macadam Avenue, Ste 300, Portland, OR 97239, or the Pickersgill Retirement Community Benevolent Fund, 615 Chestnut Avenue, Towson, MD 21204.
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