Gov. Larry Hogan Speaks At Sheriff Melvin C. High's Memorial Service

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Gov. Larry Hogan spoke at Tuesday's memorial service for Prince George's County Sheriff Melvin C. High. He is survived by his wife, Brenda, daughter, Tracy, and grandson, Christian.

High died two weeks before he was set to retire. He was 78. High was born in Union County, Mississippi, in 1944. He attended Tennessee State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. He joined the Marines and served in Vietnam. Upon returning home, he earned a master's degree in business and public administration from Southeastern University.

In 1969, High started his law enforcement career in Washington, D.C., eventually becoming the assistant chief of police. Before he joined Prince George's County Police, he served as chief of police in Norfolk, Virginia. He then served as police chief for Prince George's County and was elected as the county's sheriff in 2010.

Hogan addressed those gathered together at High's memorial service, saying "It is an honor to be back home in Prince George's County and to have this opportunity, on behalf of all the people of Maryland, to pay tribute to the life, the memory and the legacy of Sheriff Melvin High."

"A fixture in the region with an illustrious career—a servant leader and mentor—a true professional and a true gentleman. These are just some of the ways that Sheriff High has been lovingly described over the past few weeks. He wasn’t just respected—Melvin was revered and he was beloved all throughout the DMV over the course of an incredible life of service, which spanned more than five decades," Hogan said.

"He let his work speak for itself, and the proof can be seen here today. It is evident in the caliber of the men and women who served alongside him and evident in the agency he leaves behind, which he spent 12 years modernizing for future generations," Hogan added. "On behalf of all the people of a proud and grateful state, we say farewell, thank you, and may he rest in peace. May God bless and watch over his family, the men and women of the Prince George's County Sheriff's Department, and all of our law enforcement officers and first responders."