Bob and Rita Verkouteren and their children Michael, Steven, and Dana joined the club in 1963. They had first visited Deep Creek Lake in 1962 and purchased the lot next door to the Yacht Club from Cy Bowers, who at that time was a co-owner of the Club property. From that time onward, Bob and Rita have been wonderful neighbors to the Club despite the noise and other annoyances that they have undoubtedly had to endure. During some years, Bob and Rita’s yard was the area where Regatta participants pitched their tents for the weekend.

Bob and Rita grew up a few blocks away from each other in Chevy Chase, MD and still live in Rita’s family home. Rita’s sister Annie moved to Turkey Neck Road from California in 1995 and was a very active member of the Club until her death last year. Over the years, Bob and Rita have been active sailors. Initially Bob crewed for their son Mike and Rita crewed occasionally for other Club members. In recent years Bob has crewed for Phil Hanna, Tom Craven and others.

Bob has served on the Yacht Club Board of Directors for two 3-year terms and during that time was the Club Treasurer. During the years that Bob has not officially been Treasurer, he has used his professional financial expertise to assist the Treasurer with taxes, audits, and other financial duties. In 1984 Bob saw a need to beautify the Club grounds and was appointed Club Horticulturist. Since that time he has almost single handily developed the landscaping to its current beauty. The Club formally recognized Bob’s efforts in 1997 with a plaque which hangs next to the piano in the clubhouse. In 1972 Rita started a weekly get together each Wednesday evening at their home during the summer where Club members each brought a dish to share. This was the start of the Wednesday night "Pitch-In" which moved to the Club grounds after a few years and became one of the most popular of the Club’s weekly events. In 1992, Rita was presented a plaque (which hangs next to Bob’s plaque) to commemorate her initiative as Pitch-In Founder. Rita also started the Chain Gang bicycle group with spring and fall trips and weekly rides during the summer. While Ted Rissell now handles the Chain Gang planning and scheduling, Rita is still a very active participant. In addition Bob and Rita have hosted numerous Club parties along with brunches and serving on many other committees during their 40+ years of membership. The VHS tape of the Joe’s Diner 50’s Party photographed by Rita’s brother Jim documents one of best remembered parties that Rita and Bob were involved in producing.

Bob and Rita maintain their primary home in Chevy Chase but are at the Lake much of the summer and very often during the winter. Their driveway at their lake house is frequently crowded with cars as their children and grandchildren visit. Their son Mike is married to Jennifer and they have two children, Bryan and Lydia, and live in the Washington area. Steve is married to Jeannette and they live in Berkley Springs WV with their daughter Bailey. Dana is married to Bill and they live in the Washington area.

July 2003 Member of the Month – Marilyn Filemyr

        Marilyn Filemyr with her husband Harry and children Steve, Tim, Lois, and Amy joined the club in 1978.  The path that led Marilyn and family to Deep Creek Lake was long and busy.  Marilyn was born in Sycamore, Illinois and met Harry in Chicago.  They were married in 1956 and started an adventure that included 11 moves and 7 states before arriving in Mountain Lake Park in 1973.  Harry’s engineering work then took him on assignments in Alaska and Saudi Arabia while Marilyn and the children remained in Mountain Lake Park.  The family discovered what so many others have -- Western Maryland is a great place to live and put down roots.  When Harry’s employer wanted to send him away on a second lengthy assignment in Saudi Arabia, Marilyn and Harry decided to start their own construction and home inspection business and stay in Mountain Lake Park.
        Marilyn has served on the Yacht Club Board of Directors and as Assistant Treasurer in addition to being on many committees.  She and Harry contributed significantly to the Club with such new events as the first Italian Night (1985), the Magellan Race (1987), and the legendary VooDoo Pig Roast (1992).  In 1986, Marilyn and Harry took the ultimate trip in a Flying Scot from the Youghiogheny River near Pittsburgh to the Monongahela River to the Ohio River and down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, across Lake Pontchartrain then via the Intracostal Waterway to Cedar Key and finally St. Petersburg.  A book could be written about this adventure but their ability to plan, overcome hardships, and solve problems resulted in a fun, but challenging trip. Harry’s lasting legacy is the covered pavilion on which he devoted his full attention during 1994-1995, leading the planning and design, supervising construction (with Ray Thayer), and doing significant building himself.  Sadly, Harry died within a short time after the pavilion was completed. Marilyn has always been active in the racing program. While Harry was alive, she crewed for him, and now she regularly crews for Dan Muss.
       Marilyn still lives in their Mountain Lake Park home and her mother Bessie Carlson lives with her.  Bessie frequently attends Yacht Club events with Marilyn and is a favorite of all the members who know her.  Three of Marilyn and Harry’s children live in the Washington/Baltimore area with the fourth living in California.  Marilyn now has 9 grandchildren and spends a lot of time grandmothering in addition to being active in many community activities.

June 2003 Members of the Month -- Ted and Willie Rissell

Ted and Willie with their children Kevin and Kathy joined the Club in 1967. The early years of their membership were formative years for the Club following the reorganization in 1965. Ted has always been an avid sailor and frequent race winner and both Ted and Willie have given freely of their time in many ways in support of the Club’s activities and needs. During Ted’s term as Vice Commodore in 1977 and Commodore in 1978, he was in charge of the purchase of the club and its property from Harry Muma and his business partner Cy Bowers who owned it and had rented to the club since its formation. Key members involved in the purchase were Irvin Feld and Emmet Echols who handled the negotiations with Harry Muma and Susie Crawford who handled the legal work. Ted closed the deal by getting Cy Bowers’ agreement to the sale. The resulting ownership of the Club property and facilities by the membership formed the basis for self-government and greater stability over the upcoming years. When the covered pavilion was enlarged in 1994, Willie made the large stained glass compassrose which Ray Thayer installed at the south end of the building.

The Club has always been a "do it yourself" organization with all members helping in the operation of the organization. Willie has always done far more than her share and provided leadership in organizing social activities, parties, Sunday brunches, obtaining burgee items (pins, flags) for members, publishing an updated history of the Club, and being a true partner in all of Ted’s activities. In 1992 at the request of Commodore Frank Wolfee, Ted and Dan Muss provided leadership for the establishment of the Deep Creek Sailing School which has been a great success in training new sailors on the Lake. Ted was recognized as "Sportsman of the Year" for his work in establishing the Sailing School and he still serves as president of the School. In addition to his sailing and Club leadership activities, Ted knows the Club’s physical facilities intimately and is a leader in Building & Grounds maintenance and improvement activities each year either as committee chairman or key worker. Ted participates in the C Fleet races almost every Saturday and Sunday, and these races against Dan Muss, Barbara Elster, Ed Peters and a few others have become almost legendary.