Worker Memorials
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.
Paul Patterson
Westmoreland County
June 6, 1970
Constantine Kozloski
Philadelphia County
July 19, 1970
Walter Lane
Clearfield County
August 28, 1970
William Hoffman
District 5
October 1, 1970
James 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
January 8, 1979
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