GOVERNOR HOGAN: Good morning, everybody. Thank you all for being here. Thank you for being here as we honor the life and the memory of Assistant Fire Chief Danny Lister. It was nearly three years since we were forced to say goodbye to one of our state’s true heroes. On that September day back in 2018, Danny Lister heard a call come in for a head‑on crash along Route 404. And just as he had been doing every day for his 15 years of the fire service, Danny answered a call.
I know Danny’s loss is still deeply felt by his family and by his fellow firefighters here at the Queen Anne‑Hillsboro volunteer fire company. While there are really no words that can ever truly show our appreciation and our respect for Danny’s selfless service, today on behalf of all of the people of Maryland, we offer a small token of our eternal gratitude, and a dedicate of a portion of Maryland 404 in honor of Danny Lister. We do this with the knowledge that Danny’s life was not only marked by that last call that he answered, but by a lifetime’s worth of service to his community and to the state.
I know that Danny loved the fire company, and he held multiple positions of leadership over the years, including lieutenant and captain, assistant chief, deputy chief and chief. When he wasn’t volunteering, he worked as a risk manager for Queen Anne’s County. Those who knew him best say that Danny had an easy smile, a sense of humor, and that he knew how to enjoy simple things in life. Danny Lister is not only a hero because he died in the line of duty, he’s a hero because of the truly incredible life of service that he led. I believe that all of our first responders are at their best and their goodness and compassion shines brightest when others are most in need. Every single day, these heroes like Danny answer the call to protect their communities and to serve something greater than themselves.
So today, as we dedicate this portion of Maryland 404, we remember Danny Lister and we thank him. We also continue to pray for his family and friends that they found comfort and strength knowing that he will not ever be forgotten, and we are reminded that his legacy will forever live on, not just with this highway dedication, but also through the men and women of our proud fire and first responder families who continue to show their steadfast commitment to their professions and to letting their lives and their actions carry on the goodness, dedicate, and the selfless service that marked the life of our fallen hero, Danny Lister. May God bless him, God bless his family, and God bless the men and women of this fire company, and all of our dedicated men and women in the fire and rescue services. And may God continue to bless the great state of Maryland. Thank you.
I know Danny’s loss is still deeply felt by his family and by his fellow firefighters here at the Queen Anne‑Hillsboro volunteer fire company. While there are really no words that can ever truly show our appreciation and our respect for Danny’s selfless service, today on behalf of all of the people of Maryland, we offer a small token of our eternal gratitude, and a dedicate of a portion of Maryland 404 in honor of Danny Lister. We do this with the knowledge that Danny’s life was not only marked by that last call that he answered, but by a lifetime’s worth of service to his community and to the state.
I know that Danny loved the fire company, and he held multiple positions of leadership over the years, including lieutenant and captain, assistant chief, deputy chief and chief. When he wasn’t volunteering, he worked as a risk manager for Queen Anne’s County. Those who knew him best say that Danny had an easy smile, a sense of humor, and that he knew how to enjoy simple things in life. Danny Lister is not only a hero because he died in the line of duty, he’s a hero because of the truly incredible life of service that he led. I believe that all of our first responders are at their best and their goodness and compassion shines brightest when others are most in need. Every single day, these heroes like Danny answer the call to protect their communities and to serve something greater than themselves.
So today, as we dedicate this portion of Maryland 404, we remember Danny Lister and we thank him. We also continue to pray for his family and friends that they found comfort and strength knowing that he will not ever be forgotten, and we are reminded that his legacy will forever live on, not just with this highway dedication, but also through the men and women of our proud fire and first responder families who continue to show their steadfast commitment to their professions and to letting their lives and their actions carry on the goodness, dedicate, and the selfless service that marked the life of our fallen hero, Danny Lister. May God bless him, God bless his family, and God bless the men and women of this fire company, and all of our dedicated men and women in the fire and rescue services. And may God continue to bless the great state of Maryland. Thank you.