ROCKLAND, Maine — After receiving his profession’s highest honor on Friday morning, Maine’s newly minted “Warden of the Year,” Jim Fahey of Bangor, stood in the back of a Samoset Resort function room as a steady stream of peers filed by and kept saying the two words that likely meant the most.

“Well deserved,” each one said, in turn, as they shook hands with a visibly emotional Fahey, known to his colleagues as “Gentleman Jim.”

Fahey, who was pressed by his superiors to say a few words after receiving the award at a celebration also marking the 135th anniversary of the Maine Warden Service, summed up his feelings for the career he’s chosen, and the men and women he serves with, with a quote he borrowed from a movie.

“Endeavor to persevere,” Fahey advised his colleagues, citing a movie line from 1976’s “The Outlaw Josey Wales.”

Fahey, who has been a game warden for nearly 22 years and now patrols the Bangor district, explained that though he walked away with the day’s top award, the accolades could have been directed to any of his colleagues who do the same job he does.

“There’s only one [of these awards given out] per year, but as I said, everyone who works [as] and who has been a warden has to somebody, somewhere, in some situation, been a warden of the year in their eyes,” Fahey said. “And not just one time.”

Fahey began his warden career in northern Maine, and said he learned from many top-notch wardens there. He often thinks of those men, some of whom were among the well-wishers who stopped by to congratulate him.

“My heart is in Aroostook County, really,” he said. “The men that I worked with and the areas that we worked. I think that can bind people, in itself: working in a remote location on a difficult task, there’s a level of camaraderie.”

Fahey has forged similar bonds in the Bangor region, he said, and relies on strong professional relationships with his colleagues on a daily basis.

“We’re able to work on projects that are difficult and challenging, but those are often the most rewarding,” he said. “But it doesn’t come easy.”

Fahey accepted the award flanked by his wife, Shelley, and his sons, James, 12, and Scott, 10. Fahey said that when one member of a family is a game warden, the rest end up living a warden’s life. And it’s not always easy. Wardens never know when they might be called to another incident.

“You never really know [what a day holds],” Fahey said. “Even when you lie down at night, you don’t know when the phone is going to ring. When someone says, ‘How was your day?’ you really don’t know until the next day. And then you reflect on yesterday.”

The warden of the year award was just one of many that was handed out on Friday. Other award winners are listed below. All winners listed are wardens unless named otherwise.

2014 K9 conservation case of the year: Kim Bates and K9 Yaro; K9 search and rescue case of the year: Dave Chabot and K9 Ruby; William R. Roseberry Spirit of America award: Cpl. Michelle Merrifield;

Exemplary Service Awards: Lucas Bellanceau, Carlton Richardson, Pete Herring, Chaplain Kate Braestrup, Tim Place, Sgt. Bruce Loring, Scott Thrasher, Cpl. Mike Joy, Tony Gray, Mike Pierre (2), Chris Dyer, Phil Richter (2), Michelle Merrifield, Aaron Cross, Dan Christianson, Dave Ross, Steve Allarie, Dave Georgia (2), Dave Craven, Kim Bates, Jeremy Kemp, Will Shuman, Troy Dauphinee, Jaren Herrick, Sgt. Glen Annis, Investigator Josh Bubier, Cpl. Andy Glidden, Preston Pomerleau, Bob Johansen, Jim Davis, Mike Boyer, Joe Bailey.

Meritorious Service Awards, for going above and beyond the call of duty, putting oneself in danger: Norm Lewis and K9 Clyde, Sgt. Bruce Loring, Jim Fahey, Chris Sargent, Joe Bailey, Acadia Mountain guide Jon Tierney, Sgt. Dave Craven, Joe McBrine, Wayde Carter, Sgt. Ron Dunham, pilot Charlie Later.

Operation Game Thief Awards: Merit award: Heather Rodrigue; guardian award: Sgt. Chris Simmons.

Maine Warden Service Association special recognition award: Dave Ross, Tom McKenney, Eric Rudolph, Kris MacCabe; merit award: Jen Brophy; MWSA legendary game warden: Lloyd Perkins.

Supervisor of the year: Chief pilot Durwood Humphrey; Warden of the year: Jim Fahey