Arnold Louis "Whitey" Schmidt – noted cookbook author – has passed away. He went peacefully at his home art studio in Crisfield, Md on Friday, July 18, 2014. He was 75 years old.

Known as the Chesapeake Bay's Blue Crab Guru, Schmidt authored 11 popular books on the region's cooking, culture and people.

Schmidt's first book, The Official Crab Eater's Guide (1985), marked a milestone in the history of Bay country cooking. It became a popular staple at regional bookstores, and remains in circulation today. As part of the launch, Schmidt founded Marian Hartnett Press in Alexandria, Va.

This early success allowed him to quit his "real job" working for the family business – Tab Tire – in suburban Washington, D.C. He moved to the Eastern Shore and began pursuing his passion for cooking and writing full time.

He would go on to publish the books Seaside Dining: Views to Dine By… Bay Tripper (Eastern and Western Shore editions)… The Chesapeake Bay Crabbiest Cookbook… The Chesapeake Bay Oyster Cookbook… The Eastern Shore Cookbook… and many others.

Schmidt has been profiled in countless newspapers, magazines and television documentaries. The list includes Southern Living, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, Bay Sailor, Coastal Style, Washington Post, Frederick Magazine, Soundings, Bay Weekly, Sail Magazine and Maryland Life. He was also featured in Maryland Public Television's award-winning documentary Eatin' Crabs Chesapeake Style.

Along the way, Schmidt served as a judge in numerous seafood-cooking competitions, from Annapolis to St. Michaels and beyond.

He claimed to have eaten in more than 275 crab houses in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.

In recent years, Schmidt increasingly devoted himself to painting. He worked mainly in watercolor and acrylic. He filled his home and studio with canvases – most of them focusing on Bay country themes and, of course, the blue crab.

Before his death, Schmidt founded Chick'n Neck'r Art with his son Matthew Schmidt. The company is devoted to creating paintings and sculptures exploring Eastern Shore themes.

Over the years, Schmidt covered his Crisfield property with vegetable gardens, wood sculptures, vintage signs, antiques and artworks from around the region. An avid gardener, Schmidt regularly used fresh vegetables and herbs to enhance the flavors of the recipes he tested in his kitchen (a.k.a. the "Crab Lab").

His enormous wooden patio table, extending some 15 feet, has hosted countless crab feasts. The guest lists have included luminaries from the worlds of publishing, art and cooking.

"Pop loved nothing more than cooking for a house full of friends. He put all his passion into everything he did," says son Matthew.

In his youth, Schmidt – a native of Washington, D.C. – starred on Suitland High School's basketball team. He beat out his friend and eventual U.S. Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) for the presidency of his senior class. (Schmidt claimed it was the only election Hoyer ever lost.)

Schmidt was also a great lover of jazz, including Dave Brubeck, Diana Krall, Frank Sinatra and others.

His work and his charismatic personality attracted hundreds of friends. Many would visit his Crisfield home – often without advance notice. Regardless, they were always met with great food, drink and Schmidt's famous stories.

Through his work and life, Schmidt has touched thousands of individuals. He will be missed – but his work will live on.

Schmidt's son Matthew is taking the reigns at Marian Hartnett Press and Chick'n Neck'r Art and plans on releasing several new volumes in the future.

For more information on Schmidt's work, go to www.crablab.com or email Marion Hartnett Press at matts712@yahoo.com

A memorial service will be on Sunday, August 17, 2014 at 1:00 PM at the Stanley Cochrane American Post # 16 in Crisfield. Donations in the name of Whitey Schmidt can be made to the Maryland Waterman's Association, 1805A Virginia Street
Annapolis, MD 21401