OF THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF A LEGEND. PETER ANGELOS WAS ILL FOR MANY YEARS, AND NOW THAT HE’S PASSED, PEOPLE ARE REMEMBERING EVERYTHING HE DID FOR BALTIMORE. I’M GOING TO MISS MY FRIEND. HE’S A GOOD MAN, A VERY GOOD MAN. FRIENDS, FAMILY AND MANY IN THE CITY OF BALTIMORE ARE MOURNING PETER ANGELOS. HE DIED OVER THE WEEKEND AT THE AGE OF 94. ANGELOS HAD HIS HAND IN A LOT OF THINGS IN THIS CITY OVER THE YEARS. AS COUNCILMAN FOR THERAPIST AND LABOR ATTORNEY, FRIENDS SAY HE WAS ALWAYS LOOKING OUT FOR THE LITTLE GUY. HE WON CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS FOR FACTORY WORKERS WHO SUFFERED THE EFFECTS OF ASBESTOS. A LOT OF PLAINTIFFS WHO SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF ASBESTOS EXPOSURE. THERE ARE FAMILIES, AND THOSE WORKERS WERE WELL COMPENSATED WITH HIS PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS IN THE SETTLEMENT. HE BOUGHT THE ORIOLES BASEBALL TEAM MANY CREDITED HIM WITH KEEPING THE TEAM HERE IN BALTIMORE. ELI JACOBS AND HIS DESCENDANTS WERE ABOUT TO SELL AT AUCTION. THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES OFF. THEY WOULDN’T BE IN BALTIMORE EXCEPT FOR HIM STEPPING IN WITH HIS NEW, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES THAT HE GOT WITH ASBESTOSIS CASES TO PURCHASE THE ORIOLES BEYOND THAT, FRIENDS SAY HE WAS GENEROUS, OFTEN MAKING ANONYMOUS DONATIONS TO ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE HE CONTRIBUTED $2 MILLION TO START THE REGINALD F LEWIS MUSEUM AND WROTE A CHECK TO KEEP BALTIMORE CITY POOLS OPEN WHEN THE CITY HAD A DEFICIT COLD, HIS COMPTROLLER HAPPENED TO BE THERE THE DAY THIS HAPPENED. CALLED OR HAD THE COMPTROLLER WRITE A CHECK FOR THAT EXACT AMOUNT AND HAD IT HAND-DELIVERED UP TO THE MAYOR. PEOPLE WHO KNEW HIM SAY THEY NEVER DOUBTED HIS LOVE FOR BALTIMORE. HE CAME TO BALTIMORE AS A CHILD AND ADOPTED THIS CITY TO BE HIS HOME. HE COULD HAVE MOVED. HE COULD HAVE LEFT BALTIMORE TO DO A LOT OF THINGS, PARTICULARLY WHEN HE HAD THE RESOURCES. BUT HE FELT THAT BALTIMORE WAS IMPORTANT, AND HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE ALL OF THE HISTORY OF THE CITY WAS NOT LEFT BEHIND. CAL RIPKEN JUNIOR PLAYED UNDER ANGELOS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. HE RELEASED A STATEMENT, WRITING IN PART, PETER AND I HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP AND FOLLOWING MY RETIREMENT, HIS GENEROSITY TOWARDS OUR FAMILIES, FOUNDATION AND ASSISTANCE IN MAKING THE IRONBIRDS AND ORIOLES AFFILIATE IN OUR HOMETOWN WERE GREATLY
Remembering Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos, dead at 94
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Updated: 6:14 PM EDT Mar 25, 2024
Friends and family are remembering the life of Baltimore icon Peter Angelos, who died Saturday at the age of 94.Most know him as the owner of the Baltimore Orioles, but he was much more than that.Angelos was active in Baltimore City as a councilman, philanthropist and labor attorney. "Peter Angelos ran for mayor in 1967, and he asked my dad to run as president of the City Council to form a ticket. It was the first integrated citywide ticket in history in the city of Baltimore," WBAL News Radio's C4 said.The pair lost that election, but Angelos was building a law practice that would look out for the little guy, eventually winning class action lawsuits for factory workers suffering from the effects of asbestos."He was in Annapolis fighting 100 insurance companies and maybe 50 lobbyists, and he came out on top. That's something I've never seen done, and I don't think it will ever be done again," former coworker John Pica said.Families were well-compensated as a result.Friends said he was generous with his own money and never wanted the credit. He often made anonymous donations to organizations and individuals. He contributed $2 million to start the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture. He also wrote a check to keep Baltimore City pools open when the city had a deficit."In his desk drawer, on the right-hand side, a drawer filled with hand-written letters from people all across the state, all across the country from people who he had helped and he didn't even know who they were," friend Alan Rifkin said. "He'd pull them out, he'd read them, and he'd say, 'Now this is why I'm here.'"With his portions of the proceeds from the asbestos settlement, Angelos purchased the Orioles. Many credit him with keeping the team in Baltimore. "He came to Baltimore as a child and adopted this city to be his home. He could have moved. He could have left Baltimore to do a lot of things, particularly when he had the resources, but he felt Baltimore was important, and he wanted to make sure all the history of the city wasn't left behind," C4 said.Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. played under Angelos' ownership for eight years. He released a statement Saturday, saying in part, "Peter and I had a good relationship, and following my retirement, his generosity toward our family's foundation and assistance in making the Aberdeen Ironbirds an Orioles affiliate in our hometown were greatly appreciated.""I'm going to miss my friend. He was a good man, a very good man," Rifkin said.
BALTIMORE — Friends and family are remembering the life of Baltimore icon Peter Angelos, who died Saturday at the age of 94.
Most know him as the owner of the Baltimore Orioles, but he was much more than that.
Angelos was active in Baltimore City as a councilman, philanthropist and labor attorney.
"Peter Angelos ran for mayor in 1967, and he asked my dad to run as president of the City Council to form a ticket. It was the first integrated citywide ticket in history in the city of Baltimore," WBAL News Radio's C4 said.
The pair lost that election, but Angelos was building a law practice that would look out for the little guy, eventually winning class action lawsuits for factory workers suffering from the effects of asbestos.
"He was in Annapolis fighting 100 insurance companies and maybe 50 lobbyists, and he came out on top. That's something I've never seen done, and I don't think it will ever be done again," former coworker John Pica said.
Families were well-compensated as a result.
Friends said he was generous with his own money and never wanted the credit. He often made anonymous donations to organizations and individuals. He contributed $2 million to start the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture. He also wrote a check to keep Baltimore City pools open when the city had a deficit.
"In his desk drawer, on the right-hand side, a drawer filled with hand-written letters from people all across the state, all across the country from people who he had helped and he didn't even know who they were," friend Alan Rifkin said. "He'd pull them out, he'd read them, and he'd say, 'Now this is why I'm here.'"
With his portions of the proceeds from the asbestos settlement, Angelos purchased the Orioles. Many credit him with keeping the team in Baltimore.
"He came to Baltimore as a child and adopted this city to be his home. He could have moved. He could have left Baltimore to do a lot of things, particularly when he had the resources, but he felt Baltimore was important, and he wanted to make sure all the history of the city wasn't left behind," C4 said.
Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. played under Angelos' ownership for eight years. He released a statement Saturday, saying in part, "Peter and I had a good relationship, and following my retirement, his generosity toward our family's foundation and assistance in making the Aberdeen Ironbirds an Orioles affiliate in our hometown were greatly appreciated."
"I'm going to miss my friend. He was a good man, a very good man," Rifkin said.
