Daniel Jay Madron, Sr. “Danny”, age 71 of Conowingo, MD passed away on January 19, 2022. He was born on May 30, 1950 in Havre de Grace, MD to the late Archie Robert Madron Sr. and Elizabeth Marie (Pate) Madron.

Danny was a Herr’s Foods legend. Over his 36 ½ years at Herr’s, he filled many positions, and regardless of his role, he gave 100%. In honor of Danny, Herr’s has retired his parking spot. He loved fishing with his buddies, and would remind you that it’s called “fishing, not catching.” Danny will be greatly missed by his best friend and dog, Wolf; his son, D.J.; and his family, friends, and co-workers.

Danny is survived by his son, Daniel J. Madron Jr. (D.J.) and his wife, Chelsea Madron; grandson, Wyeth Madron; brothers: Archie Robert Madron Jr. and his wife, Donna and Thomas Kenneth Madron Sr. and his wife, Ellen.

He is preceded in death by brothers: Jack Madron and Donald Madron and sister, JoAnn Eldreth.

Viewing and Burial services for Danny will be held privately and at the convenience of the family. A public Zoom remembrance will be held at 6pm on February 9^th.

For those pets who lose their human partners, consider a memorial contribution to the local animal shelter, in lieu of flowers. Contributions should be made out to “Cecil County Animal Services” and sent in care of R.T. Foard Funeral Home, P.A., P.O Box 248, Rising Sun, MD 21911. To send an online condolence, please visit www.rtfoard.com

Below you will find the tribute that D.J. has written for his father.

My dad was a good man. Hardworking. Trustworthy. Reliable. Frugal. Thoughtful. Punctual. Stubborn. Hungry…and Thirsty. And he was a great dad.

Man, did my dad love Wolf, his “miniature collie” that is the size of a small horse. They were inseparable.

He loved fishing. He even bought a Jeep for the sole purpose of driving onto the Delaware beaches. It just so happened that the first time he drove the Jeep onto the beach, he got stuck and Beach Patrol had to tow him.

My dad was a hard worker. I learned early on that I did not want to work like him. I remember several days a week he would get up at 2am to leave for work, not to return until 6 or 7pm. Ew. He often told me to “work smart, not hard,” and I think that’s what I’ve done. I know my dad is proud of me. He would often tell me, and rightfully so, that I am the smartest person he knows. Until he was recently hospitalized, he was still working 12 hour shifts, at 71 years old.

My dad wasn’t overly sensitive. I think most people know that. But, boy did he love Mammy. And so did I. Pappy too, of course, but Mammy was one of the best people we knew. He would tell me how much he missed her. We were so lucky to live next door to them. I am pretty sure she always snuck me an extra buck at Christmas. Sorry, cousins. Mammy was the glue, and we all know it. I am glad they will be reunited. Quick side note: my grandparent’s names are awesome, on both sides: Archie & Betty and Roby & Fanny.

Have you seen Talladega Nights? If not, watch it now. The philosophy of Reece Bobby, Ricky Bobby’s dad, reminded me of the mentality that my dad instilled in me about winning and losing. Famously said in the movie, “if you ain’t first, you last” is all too familiar….and not in bad way, well at least, not to me. Some might argue that I am a poor sport or gloat too much when winning, but that’s what it’s all about. Play to win. Winning feels good. Losing sucks. I think I dislike losing more than I like winning. I think this is all okay. Strive to be a winner. My dad pushed me to be better.

Personally, I’d prefer to laugh and get through this. I’d be remiss to not share a few stories that most of you don’t know about.

It’s hard to know exactly where to start this story. So, let’s go to the first time my dad met Chelsea’s parents. Chelsea’s parents are artists. Really good, too. Chelsea’s mom, Maria, had been exposed to some really fine paint brushes in her time, and when she met Dan, knowing of his deer hunting prowess, she told him about how some really awesome brushes were made of deer tail hair. Now, let’s fast-forward a few years to Thanksgiving dinner at Chelsea’s aunt’s house. My dad was coming with us. When he arrived at my house, I noticed a cooler. A rather dirty cooler. I asked what was in it, and disturbingly, my dad yanks out a freezer bag with a bloody chopped off deer tail. I was unaware of the Maria-Dan conversation, so I was not clear why he brought this with him in a cooler…with no ice. He explained that he would give it to Maria because it would make a great paint brush, to which I emphatically concurred. If you know me, you know that I live for this stuff. Chelsea’s aunt’s Thanksgiving dinner is not like most. This was going to be fancy. Time to head over, and “dad, don’t forget the cooler.” After some hugs and hellos, here comes my dad with the cooler, heading toward Maria. He goes on “I remember that you said deer tail hair makes for great paint brushes,” and he pulls the bloody bag of deer tail out and hands it to Maria. It was so fantastic. I wish I could relive it every day.

This next story spans over the course of a few decades. What do you do when you find a snake in your house? If you are a Madron, you must fire a gun at it. The story of the “shooting of the snake” at Mammy or Pappy’s house is of legendary status. It brought me back to the wild wild west. A snake crawling above the ledge of your bedroom door, stealthy taken care of by a shotgun to the wall. The story seemed less glamourous and fantastical when it happened in my dad’s house a few decades later. Spotted a snake in the laundry room. Found a gun. Shot at it several times. Slightly destroying the wall, and we aren’t sure about the snake. Maybe I’ll find its remains.

If you knew my dad, you knew that if he had his heart set on something, by golly, it was going to happen. He did things his way, often making me laugh, but maybe we can learn a few lessons from Dan.

Always get your money’s worth!!

You want to use FOUR ranch packets on your small tossed salad? Do it.

When you are out to eat and the bread basket arrives, be the first to grab the butter, and use it all. “It’s okay” my dad would say, “they have more.” And you know what? They sure did.

Order your beer ICE COLD, because honestly, would you want it any other way?

Surely everyone knows to bet the grey horse. Even if it’s 3 legged. The greys are special.

Go to a buffet for breakfast…and stay for lunch. They don’t charge you twice!

When you get an 8-piece bucket of chicken to share with 7 others. Take two pieces. There’s probably a vegetarian or someone not that hungry. Early bird gets the worm, right?

Much of what I have shared with you is meant to be light. We will all feel the loss. This missing of Dan. But, we can laugh, hopefully, and remember how easy it was to be around him. Our favorite day together was undoubtedly the Saturday before Memorial Day. This is the day of the Fair Hill Races. It was our tradition to be the first in line and to rush to the same spot each year. Sadly, the last two years were canceled due to renovations and/or COVID. They have transformed Fair Hill into a world class track and we were so excited to see the race was back on the schedule this year. That is going to be a hard day for me.

Rest easy, Dad, Lord knows you’ve earned it. Until you see Wolf again, I hope Fred is up there keeping you company.