Kirk Daugherty, who served as chief deputy of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office during a long career in law enforcement that included being Snow Hill’s police chief, is being remembered as dedicated and willing to assist.

Daugherty, 75, died on Dec. 26 from an apparent heart attack.

He was chief in Snow Hill from July 2007 until his retirement in May 2015.

“He was as professional as you could find. He was liked by everyone,” Richard Norman, executive director of the Maryland Troopers Association, told the Salisbury Independent.

“He was very professional in everything he did. The command staff really enjoyed him, and his expertise in that area. He was one of the most dedicated employees and he was very good at what he did,” Norman said.

“Socially, he was a great guy to be around. He was one of those people everyone liked and enjoyed his company. He was kind of a quiet guy but when he spoke he was very, very knowledgeable in everything he talked about,” Norman said.

“He was one of those great people. We’re so saddened,” he said.

Brian Blubaugh, president of the Troopers Association who worked with Daugherty for the past five years, called him “a very smart gentleman and very dedicated to the troopers and the retirees.”

“He was always willing to help out in any way possible or give advice. He would help all the members of the command staff and try to give details on an issue that somebody was having or try to help out where he could,” he said.

A funeral service for Millard Kirk Daugherty will be on Friday at 2 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church in Salisbury.

A native of Baltimore, Daugherty graduated from Bridgeville High School, then from Johns Hopkins School of X-Ray Technology. He started his career as a technologist at McCready Hospital in Crisfield, where he worked from September 1962 until June 1963.

He went to the Maryland State Police Academy, then served in the Maryland State Police until June 1989, obtaining the rank of first sergeant.

He was detached to the Maryland General Assembly during the Legislative Session for 11 years, 10 of which he was appointed sergeant at arms of the Maryland Senate. He served as president of the Maryland Troopers Association from 1985 to 1989, and again from 2003 to 2017.

He was appointed chief deputy of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office in July 1989 and served until June 2000.

In September 2000 he was employed by Perdue Farms as personal assistant to Frank Perdue, until Perdue died in 2005.

Perdue’s widow, Mitzi, told the Salisbury Independent her husband “considered himself extremely lucky to have Kirk in his life.”

“Kirk may have worked for Frank, but Frank always thought of Kirk as a dear friend, someone who was kind, reliable, smart and caring.  Good heavens, Kirk will be missed by all who knew him,” she said.

Daugherty enjoyed boating, cooking, golfing, splitting and burning wood. He was an avid Baltimore Ravens and Orioles fan, according to his obituary. Among comments posted online with the obituary is one by Jack Howard of the Maryland State Police Alumni Association.

“We will miss you, old friend,” Howard wrote.

“I guess if God needed a good sergeant at arms he called you back home to do the job. Rest in the hands of God old friend until we meet again.”