Friends, colleagues remember Dr. Michael Steinmetz, man killed in Cecil County boat explosion
BALTIMORE -- Friends and colleagues of Dr. Michael Steinmetz, a leading figure at the National Eye Institute, who died in a boat explosion last weekend, are remembering his legacy.
In 15 years at the institute, Steinmetz became what they call a top-five executive employee. But what stood out most to his colleagues, who called him Mike, wasn't his immense intellect or achievements -- it was how he made everyone around him feel.
"He was just a wonderful human being. Everybody loved working with Mike," said Cheri Wiggs, a program director at the National Eye Institute.
"It didn't matter where you were in the organization - if he could help you, he could do whatever he could to help you," said Dr. Santa Tumminia, deputy director of the organization.
The absence of Steinmetz, who's originally from Essex, has been felt by all at the National Eye Institute this week, especially Dr. Sangeeta Bhargava.
"Monday was so hard for me, coming into work and his office is just down the corridor. So it was hard for me," said Bhargava.
For the last six months, Steinmetz has been mentoring her to fill his shoes when he retired in September, which included weekly Zoom meetings, every Friday.
"He made it so much fun that 8 o'clock on Friday, I would be waiting for him," she said.
That's right - a fun Zoom meeting. It's no surprise to his colleagues, who all agreed on what they'll miss most.
"What a wicked sense of humor he had. It was part of the joy of working with him," said Wiggs.
"He could tell a mean joke when you least expected it," said Tumminia.
The Maryland Department of National Resources police are investigating the boat explosion on the Bohemia River in Cecil County, where first responders and a good Samaritan had to pull Steinmetz out of the water.
That was surprising to his colleagues, who said he was an avid diver and a certified diving instructor.
"He was at home on the water," said Tumminia. "So to hear that that's where his accident happened was really quite shocking."
His friends and colleagues are holding on to what memories they have.
"I have notes on these 21 meetings I've had so far with him. And when I go back to it and look at it, it's like I almost feel mike is talking to me all the time," said Bhargava. "What would you like your mentor to be -- he was it. It was just him."