4-29-2025 10:57am

Dulaney Valley Honors

Hunt Valley Life Staff

Fallen Heroes Day

Fallen Heroes Day 2024 - Bill McAllen Photography

Watch the 2024 Fallen Heroes Day ceremony recording by clicking on this link to Facebook.

The 40th annual Fallen Heroes Day observance will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 2, 2025, at the Fallen Heroes Memorial at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. The observance honors Maryland police, firefighters, and emergency medical/rescue personnel who have died in the line of duty and is the only statewide ceremony in the nation that brings together all segments of the public safety community. Fallen Heroes Day, which is held each year on the first Friday in May, is also an opportunity for the public to show their appreciation for those who risk their lives every day to protect the citizens of Maryland. Family members of those being honored will be in attendance.

For a list of all Fallen Heroes honored since the ceremony began, click here.

The ceremony will open with a procession of honor guard units from across the state, mounted units, and motorcycle police. During the ceremony, the families of the fallen heroes will be presented with a replica of the Fallen Heroes Memorial and a resolution from the Maryland General Assembly. The ceremony will conclude with a wreath placement, followed by a 21-gun salute, Taps and a fly-over. The bell that is housed on Maryland’s 9/11 Rolling Memorial will toll as we honor each of the fallen heroes and all Maryland first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice. The ceremony is open to the public and is held rain or shine.

Delivering memorial addresses will be Baltimore County Executive Katherine A. Klausmeier. The keynote speaker will be Scott Garceau, Baltimore Sportscaster.

The family speaker will be Lynne Parry, President and Executive Director of the Maryland Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.). The Concerns of Police Survivors is a statewide non-profit organization providing programs and services for the survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in the state of Maryland. Lynne Parry is the surviving widow of Detective Sergeant Mark F. Parry of the Baltimore County Police Department. In January 2002, Sgt. Parry succumbed to injuries received 25 days earlier when his patrol car was struck by a drunk driver.

Local broadcaster and artist Mary Beth Marsden will serve as the emcee. Mary Beth Marsden has been the voice of Fallen Heroes Day since 1993.

Teams from Crisis Response Canines will be on site to provide support and comfort for the first responders and families in attendance.

“As we mark the 40th anniversary of Fallen Heroes Day, we are humbled and grateful as we remember all of the brave and heroic first responders who have made the supreme sacrifice. They did their jobs with grace and determination so that we all could be safe and protected. We thank them and we honor their enduring legacy,” said Jack Mitchell, President of Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.

The 2025 Fallen Heroes Day ceremony will honor:

Master Firefighter Michael T. Warfel, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service (MCFRS), End of Watch: March 20, 2018. Master Firefighter Warfel was a dedicated veteran of the MCFRS, having served with distinction for 24 years. A compassionate professional, he was an invaluable and much-admired asset to the department. Mike Warfel was especially known and loved for taking care of his Station 8 family. Following a hard-fought battle with occupational cancer, Master Firefighter Warfel passed away at the age of 65.

Deputy Chief William F. Goddard, III, Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, End of Watch: September 1, 2021. Serving the community through fire service was core to William Goddard. He started his extraordinary career as a volunteer with the Glen Dale Fire Association. He went on to serve Prince George’s County as Deputy Chief. After retiring from the department, he continued his commitment to public service through a number of high-ranking positions for the State of Maryland, including the position of Fire Chief and Emergency Manager for Howard County. A U.S. Navy veteran, Chief Goddard succumbed to occupational cancer at the age of 70.

Lieutenant Richard E. Blankenship, Jr., Howard County Department of Fire & Rescue Services, End of Watch: December 20, 2021. Richard Blankenship devoted his life to serving the community around him, and he did so with grace and honor. Lt. Blankenship was born into a fire department family and followed his passion to serve. He began with the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department and was later hired as a career Firefighter for the Howard County Department of Fire & Rescue Services. During his two decades with the fire service, Edward “Cat” Blakenship exemplified excellence and professionalism. Lieutenant Blankenship succumbed to occupational cancer at the age of 47.

Deputy Sheriff Corey D. McElroy, Garrett County Sheriff’s Office, End of Watch: December 20, 2022. Deputy McElroy was a natural leader with an innate calling to help others. After distinguished service with the U.S. Marine Corps, Corey McElroy chose to become a police officer and was proud to join the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office. While traveling home from the police academy, Deputy McElroy was killed in a three-vehicle crash at the interchange of I-68 and Route 36 in Frostburg, MD. He was 31 years old at the time of his passing.

Police Officer Daoud A. Mingo, Baltimore Police Department, End of Watch: December 13, 2023. Protecting and serving the citizens of Baltimore was a calling for Daoud Mingo. He did his job with exceptional skill, knowledge and a “can do” attitude. While providing a funeral escort in October 2015 for a Baltimore Police Officer, Officer Mingo was critically injured when his motorcycle collided with a vehicle that turned into his path. Officer Mingo served with the Baltimore Police Department for 20 years until his medical retirement in 2020. He later succumbed to complications from his injuries in December of 2023, at the age of 53.

Chief Kevin E. Morgan, Boonsboro Police Department End of Watch: April 13, 2024. Chief Morgan’s legacy of dedicated public service spanned more than four decades. He served with the Brunswick Police Department, was a K-9 officer with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and then went on to become Chief of the Boonsboro Police Department. Throughout his career Chief Morgan was widely respected and much loved by the communities he served. He made a lasting impression on all who knew him. Chief Kevin Morgan passed away at the age of 63 after suffering a medical emergency while on duty.

Agent Davis G. Martinez, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services – Division of Parole and Probation, End of Watch: May 31, 2024. Agent Martinez, who was assigned to the Silver Spring Field Office, served with honor and distinction during his six-year career at the department. Davis Martinez, who grew up in Silver Spring, MD, was known for his dedication to his public safety career and his enduring positive spirit. Agent Martinez was killed while conducting a Chevy Chase home visit on a convicted sex offender. Agent Davis Martinez, age 33, was the first parole and probation agent in Marland killed in the line of duty.

Sergeant Brenda J. Lowery, Cecil County Sheriff's Office, End of Watch: June 4, 2024. Sergeant Lowery, a U.S. Air Force veteran, served with the Cecil County Sheriff's Office for 19 years. During her tenure, she exhibited excellence, professionalism, and commitment to go the extra mile to perform her duties. Sgt. Brenda Lowery, age 62, suffered a fatal heart attack after working the night shift at the Cecil County Detention Center in Elkton. During her shift, Sgt. Lowery was responsible for overseeing a lockdown, hospital transport, a suicidal inmate, and short staffing, which required her to perform the extra duties of two additional officers.

Lieutenant Christopher J. Higgins, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service (MCFRS), End of Watch: January 11, 2025. Lieutenant Higgins, who was assigned to the Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department, MCFRS Station 15, was part of a mutual aid response at a residential fire in Laurel, Prince George’s County. He suffered a medical emergency while battling the fire. A 23-year veteran of the Montgomery County department, he was also a volunteer firefighter and life member of Anne Arundel County’s Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company. Remembered for his exceptional skill, mentorship, and commitment to the service of others, Lieutenant Higgins was 46 years old at the time of his passing.

Each year the ceremony also recognizes police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty before Fallen Heroes Day was established. Remembered this year will be:

Sergeant Wallace J. Mowbray, Maryland State Police, End of Watch: August 10, 1975. A 14-year veteran of the Maryland State Police, Sgt. Mowbray was shot and killed while checking on a suspicious vehicle parked in a liquor store parking lot in Chester, MD. He was checking a license plate over the radio when he was struck by a shotgun blast by two of the men in the vehicle. Sgt. Mowbray was known as an exceptional officer and caring individual. A highly decorated trooper, among his honors was the Superintendent’s Commendation for Initiative, Ingenuity and Perseverance. Sgt. Mowbray, who had also served with the Army National Guard before entering the police academy, was 39 years old at the time of his passing.

Captain Charles P. Ditch and Lieutenant Joseph A. Stigler, Ellicott City Volunteer Fire Department, End of Watch: December 25, 1953. After battling a large residential fire on Old Columbia Pike, as crews began cleaning up their equipment, the house chimney suddenly collapsed. Four Ellicott City firefighters were buried in the wreckage. While two of the four firefighters survived, Charles Ditch and Joseph Stigler suffered fatal injuries. Capt. Ditch, who began his service in 1931, devoted 22 years to the fire service. Lt. Stigler joined the department in 1937, serving for 16 years. These two dedicated first responders gave their lives to protect their community. They each exemplified the true meaning of courage, teamwork, and service to others. At the time of their deaths, Charles Ditch was 44 years old, and Joseph Stigler was 34 years old.

History: In 1976, Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens set aside burial spaces for fallen heroes and their spouses. The first observance of Fallen Heroes Day was May 16, 1986. It was later moved to the first Friday in May. In 2007, the 70-acre cemetery was purchased by John O. Mitchell, III, of the family-owned Mitchell-Wiedefeld Funeral Home in Rodgers Forge/Towson, MD. The Mitchell family is proud to continue the tradition of the Fallen Heroes Day ceremony.

Location: The Fallen Heroes Memorial is located within Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, 200 East Padonia Road, Timonium, MD 21093. Currently, 81 members of the public safety community are buried at the Fallen Heroes Memorial. Including this year’s observance, a total of 234 Fallen Heroes will have been honored at the annual ceremony.