ANNAPOLIS, MD—Hagner Mister, who served as Maryland’s sixth Secretary of Agriculture from January 2001 to January 2003, passed away on December 30, 2024. He was 90 years old.

Prior to his appointment as Secretary, Mister served as the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Deputy Secretary for three years.

Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks expressed deep sadness over the passing of former Secretary Hagner Mister. “Hagner led the Department with grace and dedication, and Maryland’s farmers benefited from his leadership.”

A lifelong resident of Calvert County, Mister was born in 1934 and graduated from Calvert County High School. He served in the Maryland National Guard and U.S. Army Reserves. His public service included roles on the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners, the Calvert County Board of Education, and the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland.

In 2020, Mister was presented the R. Clayton Mitchell Jr. Award for Distinguished Public Service by then Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot.

Mister is survived by his wife, Helen Ann, and their three children, six grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren.

Friends are welcome to visit the family on January 1, 2025, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Rausch Funeral Home-Owings, 8325 Mt. Harmony Lane, Owings, MD 20736. A Funeral Service is scheduled for January 2, 2024, at 11 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, located at 90 Church Street, Prince Frederick, MD 20678. To read Hagner’s complete obituary, visit Rausch Funeral Home’s website.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.