Jackson M. Pongay
Incident
Corrections Officer IV Jackson Pongay died after contracting COVID-19 during an outbreak among staff and inmates at the Lychner State Jail in Humble.
Officer Pongay had served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for four years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Corrections Officer IV Jackson M. Pongay died on July 19, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 56.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 55 at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and one child.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
NW-D71S-0RY4-4earlier record number BO-US-TX-FB2E99F8- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Corrections Officer IV Pongay gave the Texas Department of Criminal Justice 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corrections Officer IV Pongay.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Illness
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division has lost 124 officers; 55 of them lost to illness.
Jackson is one of 204 officers lost to illness in TX, 8.4% of the 2,422 remembered there.
Jackson is one of 2,026 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,543 remembered there.
Jackson is one of 2,978 officers lost to illness worldwide, 8.8% of the 33,910 remembered here.
33,910 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 2020, 22 officers at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division were lost to illness, the 2nd heaviest of 3 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 26.
In 2020, 63 officers in TX were lost to illness, the 2nd heaviest of 20 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 99.
In 2020, 346 officers in the United States were lost to illness, the 2nd heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.
In 2020, 347 officers worldwide were lost to illness, the 2nd heaviest of 197 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 566.
Who
Jackson was 56. Of the 55 lost to illness at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division whose age is recorded, half were between 48.5 and 61; the middle age was 57. Jackson had served 4 years; the middle length of service was 10 years.
Jackson was 56. Of the 201 lost to illness in TX whose age is recorded, half were between 45 and 59; the middle age was 53. Jackson had served 4 years; the middle length of service was 17 years.
Jackson was 56. Of the 1,994 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. Jackson had served 4 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.
Jackson was 56. Of the 2,915 lost to illness worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 39 and 56; the middle age was 49. Jackson had served 4 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.
When
July holds 10.9% of these deaths at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division; September holds the most, 18.2%. Sundays: 18.2%.
July holds 9.3% of these deaths in TX; September holds the most, 16.7%. Sundays: 15.2%.
July holds 7% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 15%. Sundays: 14.1%.
July holds 7.3% of these deaths worldwide; October holds the most, 12.6%. Sundays: 13.2%.
How
Illness deaths account for 44.4% of all 124 deaths at Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, the most common cause.
Illness deaths account for 8.4% of all 2,422 deaths in TX, the 3rd most common cause.
Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,543 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause.
Illness deaths account for 8.8% of all 33,910 deaths worldwide, the 3rd most common cause.
His people
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division has at least 120 officers remembered here, Jackson among them.
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James Monroe Butler May 25, 1882
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George W. Taylor Mar 15, 1884
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Isreal S. Ewan Dec 8, 1887
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Joe Epperson Apr 29, 1889
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Benjamin Williamson Jun 30, 1890
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Jesse F. Goodwin Jul 16, 1890
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James Jackson Dec 15, 1890
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C. B. Foster
Dec 4, 1894
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H. D. Parsons Jul 26, 1898
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Frank Miller Oct 7, 1899
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Joseph F. Wilkerson Apr 23, 1906
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James Elliot Jul 17, 1908
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John L. Wylie Apr 22, 1909
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Charles E. Claiborne Aug 9, 1915
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Walter Isaac Vandorn Aug 12, 1916
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Dewitt Frisby Oliver Sep 17, 1921
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Early A. Lott Mar 25, 1926
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William M. Rader
Jul 22, 1926
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Deb Edward Long
Feb 2, 1928
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Henry Ward
Jul 27, 1928
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Sidney Albert Syms
Sep 29, 1928
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Tommy Mellie Starnes Jun 11, 1931
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James B. Sneed Jul 6, 1931
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John R. Hinson
Nov 3, 1932
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J R McCall Aug 27, 1933
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Major Joe Crowson
Jan 27, 1934
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Virgil Welch
May 10, 1935
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Felix Smith Jun 19, 1936
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George Washington Shiflett
Dec 8, 1936
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John Cleophus Ford
Oct 4, 1937
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John R. Greer Aug 27, 1938
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George T. Preston
Jun 20, 1944
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Benjamin Franklin LaRue
Nov 23, 1946
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Guy Holman, Sr. Jun 29, 1947
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Charles Jesse Baker Jul 21, 1959
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Bobbie B. Bullard
Jun 6, 1963
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George Alan May
Sep 17, 1971
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Robert Alexander Arrington Sep 17, 1971
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Nolan Buckhanan
Jun 14, 1972
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Edward Carter May 31, 1976
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John B. Brown Jul 18, 1977
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Cephus D. Burson Oct 1, 1980
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Wallace M. Pack
Apr 4, 1981
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Billy M. Moore
Apr 4, 1981
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Dalton B. Cawthray Jan 5, 1984
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Robert A. Hunt Jun 6, 1984
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Minnie R. Houston
Jun 3, 1985
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Joe F. Gurney
Aug 12, 1988
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Sidney L. Lyons
Nov 19, 1989
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Stephen Glenn Stewart
Jan 7, 1994
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Timothy Parsley
Oct 1, 1996
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James Dimanoff Oct 14, 1997
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Bill C. Himstedt
Aug 7, 1998
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Francisco F. Garza
May 31, 1999
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Wilmot A. Burnett
Dec 16, 1999
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Daniel James Nagle
Dec 17, 1999
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Stanley A. Wiley
Jan 29, 2003
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John Murphy Bennett
Jul 17, 2003
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Susan Louise Canfield
Sep 24, 2007
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Barbara Leggett Shumate
Jun 13, 2008
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Kellie Pena
Sep 3, 2010
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Craig Allan Orrell May 12, 2011
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Christopher A. Davis
Jan 14, 2015
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Eligio Ruiz Garcia, Jr.
Jan 14, 2015
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Timothy A. Davison
Jul 15, 2015
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Mari Anne Johnson
Jul 16, 2016
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Shana Renee Tedder
Jun 9, 2017
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Kelvin D. Wilcher
Apr 6, 2020
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Jonathon Keith Goodman, Sr.
Apr 21, 2020
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Coy Dale Coffman, Jr.
Apr 26, 2020
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James David Coleman
Apr 28, 2020
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Jesse Wayne Bolton
May 8, 2020
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Maria Luisa Mendez
May 9, 2020
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Thomas Adedayo Ogungbire
Jun 11, 2020
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Kenneth Wayne Harbin
Jul 4, 2020
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Jerry Esparza
Jul 15, 2020
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Jackson M. Pongay
Jul 19, 2020
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Ruben Martinez
Jul 23, 2020
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Eric Trivonte Johnson
Jul 27, 2020
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Lebouath A. Boua
Aug 12, 2020
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Elizabeth A. Jones
Aug 15, 2020
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Herbert James Garcia
Aug 17, 2020
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James Willard Weston, Jr.
Aug 26, 2020
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Donald Eugene Parker
Oct 1, 2020
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Rodrick L. Rodgers
Nov 11, 2020
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Timothy Lee Beggs
Dec 9, 2020
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Harold Paul Smith, Jr.
Dec 15, 2020
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Phillip D. Holbert
Dec 27, 2020
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Joe Charlie Landin
Dec 28, 2020
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Randall Lewis Sims
Jan 3, 2021
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Treva T. Preston
Jan 15, 2021
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Alfred Jimenez, Jr.
Jan 15, 2021
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Maria Garcia
Jan 22, 2021
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Vickie V. James
Feb 10, 2021
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Taiwo Caroline Obele
Feb 16, 2021
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Tracey Annette Adams
Mar 6, 2021
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Luis Arturo Hernandez, Sr.
Mar 31, 2021
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Jimmy Garcia
Apr 15, 2021
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Daniel Joseph Giorgi
Jul 25, 2021
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Joe Martin Olivares
Aug 18, 2021
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Lakeisha Monique Brantley
Aug 31, 2021
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Honorato Antones
Sep 3, 2021
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Glenn R. Skeens, Jr.
Sep 7, 2021
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Codie Whitley-Turner
Sep 9, 2021
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Echo Rodriguez
Sep 12, 2021
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Shad Eugene Hammond
Sep 13, 2021
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Jose Angel Hernandez
Sep 13, 2021
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Christopher Damon Watson, Sr.
Sep 15, 2021
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Cleadas Gilberto Sherman
Sep 22, 2021
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Charles Ronald Hughes
Sep 25, 2021
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Connell Foreman
Sep 25, 2021
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Melissa Ruth Maldonado
Oct 3, 2021
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Thomas Scott Collora
Oct 5, 2021
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Garland Chaney
Oct 5, 2021
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Kevin Dupree
Nov 2, 2021
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Mark A. Loecken
Jan 10, 2022
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Darrell Avery
Feb 6, 2022
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John Baron Broadaway
Feb 8, 2022
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Kay W. Zeger, Jr.
Feb 13, 2022
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Jose Ruiz
Mar 1, 2022
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 5-E
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
Others Who Wore This Badge
123 officers from Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.















