Blanche G. Wahl (1917-2018)
MSA SC 3520-2928

Biography:

Born in Staten Island, New York, September 19, 1917. Daughter of Joseph and Rose Genauer.  Attended New York public schools; Brooklyn College of the City University of New York; Brooklyn Law School, LL.B., 1938.  Admitted to the New York bar, 1939; Maryland bar, 1952.  Married Marvin C. Wahl; three children. Died February 2, 2018, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Blanche G. Wahl was assistant city solicitor and subsequently chief city solicitor for the Baltimore City solicitor's office from 1957 until 1977.  She became a judge in the District Court of Maryland, District 1, Baltimore City, in 1977 and retired on October 1, 1989.  She was a member of the board of directors of the Maryland State Bar Association and a member of the Baltimore City Bar Association.  She served as a member of the board of the Health and Welfare Council of Baltimore as well as the Legal Aid Society.

Judge Wahl's most memorable moment on the bench occurred when she had been judge for about two months.  She was presiding in traffic court when a defendant in an automobile traffic case suddenly fell to the ground.  His wife screamed that he had recently had a heart attack.  Judge Wahl called for anyone who was familiar with CPR to come forward, and she sent the bailiffs to get help.  No one came forward, so Judge Wahl stepped down from the bench and began giving the man CPR together with the clerk.  The defendant remained unconscious but breathing, and in a short time an ambulance crew arrived and removed the defendant to the hospital, where he subsequently died.  His widow wrote Judge Wahl a nice note thanking her for her help.

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