C. Edward Hartman II, an Annapolis attorney and businessman who shaped the city’s modern-day maritime industry, died of cardio amyloidosis Jan. 15 at his Fort Lauderdale, Florida, home. He was 95 and lived on Back Creek.
Born in Baltimore and named for his grandfather, he was raised on Park Heights Avenue. He was was the son of Sada Marie Linthicum and her husband, Stanley Edward Hartman, an attorney who served as an assistant U.S. Attorney.
He was a 1944 McDonogh School graduate and earned a degree in electrical engineering from the Virginia Military Institute.
He then earned a degree from the Harvard University School of Law. He practiced in Baltimore at his father’s firm, Fell and Hartman, and in 1965 began practicing in Annapolis as Hartman & Crain.
He wanted to be closer to the water, his home and his lifelong love of sailing.
Mr. Hartman and his legal partner, Bennett Crain, were the attorneys for the Annapolis Boat Shows owners, Peter Carroll and Jerry Wood. Mr. Hartman also owned Watermark Cruises and he built and operated the Annapolis Landing Marina.
“He helped cement Annapolis as the sailing capital of the world,” said his son, C. Edward “Ed” Hartman III.
His son said his father was driven by a love for the water. This passion was sparked by childhood visits to the Bay Ridge community, where he learned to sail using a small Moth boat.
He could still be found sailing the intracoastal waterway in his 90s, traveling between Annapolis, North Carolina and Florida. He sailed from Annapolis to Florida and back more than 50 times throughout his life and saw technology shift from people warning “look out for sandbars” to today’s digital nautical charts.
On land, his daughters said, he enjoyed engaging in legal battles.
“He was a fighter; he wouldn’t give up if he believed in something, or someone,” said a daughter, Debbie Gosselin.
On the ocean he was happy, calm, quiet and capable.
“When he was on the sea, he belonged to the ocean,” said another daughter, Carolyn Sutch.
He had a respect for the sea and was a careful sailor who kept the safety of his crew at the forefront, she said.
Mr. Hartman had a talented legal mind, which he used to help protect Historic Annapolis from large developments that would block access to the water, his children said.
“He was involved in ensuring the scale of downtown was maintained over the years,” Mrs. Gosselin said.
Mr. Hartman founded Chesapeake Marine Tours, known today as Watermark Cruises. Mrs. Gosselin purchased the tour business in 1999 and operates passenger vessels from the Baltimore and Annapolis harbors.
Mr. Hartman co-founded the Annapolis Boat Shows in 1970 and was instrumental in their operation. He was sole owner of the shows when he sold them in 2013. By that point, they were attracting thousands of people from around the world to Annapolis in the spring and fall.
“It was important for dad to keep Annapolis in the maritime industry,” his son said.
Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley said the establishment of the boat shows has been a huge part of the city’s identity, something that has drawn sailors from around the world — including him.
“They fall in love and stay,” he said. “I can’t say enough about what the boat show has done for the city.”
Mr. Hartman also opened Annapolis Landing Marina on Back Creek, which was launched in the mid-1980s. He continued to operate it into his 90s.
His son said he believes his father was most proud of his family, which continues to help keep the maritime industry alive.
As the family patriarch, Mr. Hartman gathered 20 to 30 people for family events.
“At a large gathering he loved his desserts — apple strudel was one of his favorites,” Mrs. Gosselin said. “He liked it with ice cream.”
Mr. Hartman was a member of the Annapolis Yacht Club for more than 70 years.
“We all sail together. We’re together all the time. That was his proudest legacy,” his son said.
Mr. Hartman named many of his sailboats Ma’m’selle, “after Miz Ma’m’selle Hepzibah, the fairest skunk in the swamp in the world of ‘Pogo’ comics created by cartoonist Walt Kelly,” according to the younger Mr. Hartman. His father would adhere to some maritime superstitions, including that boat names should be seven letters long.
Survivors include his wife of 34 years, Deborah Henwood, who assisted him in his businesses; two daughters, Debbie Gosselin and Carolyn Sutch, both of Annapolis; a son, Charles Edward “Ed” Hartman of Crownsville; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. A daughter, Catherine Marie Hartman, died in 1993. His marriages to Anne Schwabe and Patricia Mae McHenry ended in divorce.
Baltimore Sun reporter Jacques Kelly contributed to this article.