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​Worker Memorials

display of white crosses each draped with an orange safety vest and construction helmet
black penndot logo with green and yellow stripe and orange ribbon in the dot

PennDOT is truly grateful for the dedicated workers who put their lives at risk every day to improve and maintain Pennsylvania's infrastructure. Sadly, 91 PennDOT employees have lost their lives in the line of duty since 1970. Memorials have been erected around the state to pay tribute to those employees.

There is a statewide memorial located in downtown Harrisburg, as well as a traveling memorial based out of PennDOT District 3's Bradford County Maintenance Office. PennDOT's District 4 office, which covers northeast Pennsylvania, recently dedicated a permanent memorial for its local workers who lost their lives.

These memorials emphasize the fact that the safety of workers in a work zone is truly dependent on each and every person on Pennsylvania's roadways.

As of September 2024, the following Pennsylvania Department of Transportation workers have lost their lives in the line of duty or recently died on their way to work.

P. Patterson
Westmoreland County
July 7, 1970

C. Kozloski
Philadelphia County
July 19, 1970

Walter Lane
Clearfield County
August 28, 1970

William Hoffman
District 5
October 1, 1970

J. McDonnell
District 6
November 12, 1970

John Stavish
Cambria County
January 24, 1971

Joseph Walker
Berks County
December 1, 1971

George Peace
Crawford County
January 9, 1972

Norman Matthews
Warren County
January 13, 1972

George Dennis
Lehigh County
February 11, 1972

Willis Ling
Somerset County
Feburary 21, 1972

John Coble
Centre County
June 19, 1972

Charles Passauer
Forest County
February 16, 1973

George Grinder
Lebanon County
May 16, 1973

Charles Gardner
Monroe County
September 17, 1974

Thomas Haragos
Fayette County
October 3, 1974

Joseph Caviston
Lackawanna County
April 18, 1975

Ralph Swartz
District 8
May 6, 1975

John Neiderst
Allegheny County
May 23, 1975

Paul Fritz
Tioga County
June 19, 1976

William Smith
Secretary's Office
February 24, 1977

Charles Wilson
Central Press Office
February 24, 1977

John Krebs
Central Press Office
February 24, 1977

Larry Pensyl
Central Press Office
February 24, 1977

Edwin Soisson
Bureau of Aviation
February 24, 1977

David Wolf
Bureau of Aviation
February 24, 1977

William Sherlock
Secretary's Office
February 24, 1977

Leonard Otis
Tioga County
June 1, 1977

Donald Martin
Pike County
June 23, 1977

Floyd Wertz
Dauphin County
June 23, 1977

Ralph Strubinger
Carbon County
October 4,1977

Mark Harer
Wayne County
October 17, 1977

James Baxter
Lancaster County
September 22, 1978

Robert Queen
District 12
October 31, 1978

Elmer Swetland
Susquehanna County
October 31, 1978

Wilbur Bohn
Berks County
December 12, 1979

Patrick DiGiovine
Lackawanna County
January 31, 1980

Duane Hall
Susquehanna County
April 5, 1980

John Hittle
Columbia County
May 20, 1980

Gosiba Williams
Delaware County
July 16, 1980

Joseph Zienkiewicz
Berks County
June 22, 1981

Paul Anderson
Venango County
October 22, 1981

Robert Greeley
Jefferson County
October 4, 1982

Gordon Brink
Monroe County
June 13, 1983

Charlie Burin
Erie County
May 21, 1984

Nyal Orr
Crawford County
May 29, 1984

Gerald Confer
District 2
September 19, 1984

Steve Fullmer
Lycoming County
June 6, 1985

Walter Skubel
Schuylkill County
March 18, 1986

George Gensemer
Lancaster County
February 24, 1987

Zebedee Reid
Philadelphia County
May 20, 1987

Melvin Snyder
Huntingdon County
September 11, 1987

Ralph Cornell
Luzerne County
December 20, 1987

Angel Mendez
Columbia County
June 15, 1988

Robert McClintock
Somerset County
August 19, 1988

Elmer Waibel
District 6
September 1, 1988

Michael Romanchock
Somerset County
September 19, 1989

Charles Montgomery
Huntingdon County
July 12, 1990

Joseph Couch
Washington County
September 18, 1990

John Scheibelhut
Chester County
June 24, 1991

Kenneth Window
District 9
May 16, 1994

Timothy Miller
Westmoreland County
February 7, 1996

Michael Quesenberry
Cumberland County
July 10, 1996

Leah Rumsey
Bradford County
September 30, 1996

Vincent Matylewicz
Lackawanna County
September 29, 1997

Dennis Miller
Mercer County
October 14, 1997

Jeffery Teske
District 4
October 20, 1997

Heiland Goldsborough
Lancaster County
March 3, 1999

Thomas Hicks
Lancaster County
March 3, 1999

Richard Dawson
Luzerne County
December 21, 1999

Raphael Rivera
Northampton County
September 7, 2000

Wesley Spearing
Union County
October 30, 2000

Robert Townsend
Tourism Services
March 16, 2001

Michael Jablonski
Lancaster County
April 30, 2001

Richard Bradley
Luzerne County
May 14, 2001

Arthur Walter
Blair County
December 17, 2001

Ronald Porter
Butler County
September 15, 2003

James Jr. Williams
Montgomery County
February 4, 2004

Earle Chandler
Erie County
August 1, 2006

Richard Bentel
Lawrence County
April 22, 2010

Thomas Allen
Lebanon County
May 11, 2010

Jack Griffin
McKean County
October 1, 2010

Michael Dillman
York County
August 15, 2011

Robert Shaffer
Lebanon County
March 1, 2012

Michael Connor
Fleet Management
September 18, 2014

Christopher Kerns
Bureau of Driver Licensing
July 16, 2015

Harold Whipple
District 3
August 10, 2016

Caitlin McGarry
District 5
March 17, 2018

Robert Gensimore
Blair County
February 17, 2018

Bryan Chamberlain
Blair County
August 30, 2018

Timothy Fitch
Elk County
June 14, 2021

Rodney “Craig” Walker
Huntingdon County
August 30, 2024​