Dennis C. McCoy, Former Baltimore City Delegate and Lobbyist, Dies at 84

Dennis C. McCoy, a former Maryland delegate, lobbyist, and civic figure who steered policy through Baltimore’s shifting demographics, died on Oct. 31 at Baltimore Washington Medical Center at the age of 84.

He passed away from blood cancer and other illnesses, leaving behind a legacy that stretched from the State House in Annapolis to corporate boardrooms and local aviation fields.

Born on May 26, 1942, McCoy spent his early years on a small farm in White Marsh before settling in the Mayfield neighborhood of Northeast Baltimore after marrying Carolyn Manieri in 1963. He graduated from Calvert Hall High School in 1960, earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Maryland in 1965, a law degree from the Mount Vernon School of Law in 1968, and an MBA in finance from Loyola University in 1973.

To support his family through law school, McCoy worked as a Parole and Probation officer for the state and for a shipbuilding and drydock company. He later practiced law with Hooper, Keifer and Cornell before starting his own firm, Polovoy, McCoy and Vincent, and served as an appointed commissioner on the state’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Board from 1969 to 1975.

Elected to the House of Delegates in 1974 at age 32, McCoy represented Northeast Baltimore’s 44th District until 1987. Assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee, he fought to protect state funding for public schools as the city’s population declined.

Dennis C. McCoy, Former Baltimore City Delegate and Lobbyist, Dies at 84 — Photo: marylandmatters.org

He later spent seven years chairing the Baltimore City House delegation during a period of shrinking legislative power.

“The Baltimore City delegation could be a fractious group, and Denny had an excellent way of building consensus, easing tensions, and creating unity from very diverse sections of the city.”

said former Del. Tim Maloney, D-Prince George’s.

Former colleagues said that McCoy served as an ambassador across neighborhoods as districts consolidated. Former Del. Maggie McIntosh, D-Baltimore City, said that the tensions within the delegation “pretty much dissipated” thanks to his steady work.

Dennis McCoy Elliott Celebration of Life — Memorial Masters

After leaving the legislature in 1987, McCoy launched Government Affairs-Maryland Inc., becoming a top-earning lobbyist. He successfully pushed for the repeal of Maryland’s blue laws and represented the Maryland Horsebreeder’s Association. His daughter, Kimberly McCoy Burns, practiced law and lobbied alongside him for 25 years.

“My Dad definitely left the world — or at least Maryland — better than when he found it for so many,” she said.

Beyond law and politics, McCoy built a career that included significant work in business. A licensed pilot, he spent hours flying his airplane, especially over the Chesapeake Bay.

He is survived by his children, Kimberly and Dennis, three grandchildren, his siblings Timothy and Pam, and his companion, Elizabeth Smith Anderson.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Barranco Severna Park Funeral Home. A memorial mass is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Fields Roman Catholic Church in Millersville.

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