Sonny Lee Orbin Sr.
Agency patch
Sergeant

Sonny Lee Orbin Sr.

Missouri Department of Corrections — Jefferson City, MO
End of Watch July 18, 2021
Age 46
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Sonny Orbin died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty while assigned to the Women’s Eastern Reception and Diagnostic Correctional Center in Vandalia, Missouri.

Sergeant Orbin was a U.S. Navy veteran. He is survived by his four children and parents.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Sergeant Sonny Lee Orbin Sr. died on July 18, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 46.

He is one of 885 officers honored here, and one of 8 at Missouri Department of Corrections.

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 four children and parents.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at requiem.nw, salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 3 gates. Sonny is one person.

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Tributes

The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Sergeant Orbin served with the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Thank you for your service to the people of Missouri. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Orbin.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Corrections
Location Jefferson City, Cole County, MO
Platform Identity mdcorr.cole.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 18, 2021
Age 46
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Military Service

Sonny Lee Orbin Sr. served in the U.S. Navy (1993–1997) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Illness

Sonny is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 2021, 564 officers in the United States were lost to illness, more than in any other year.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Sonny was 46. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

July holds 7% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Sundays: 14.2%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Missouri Department of Corrections has 20 officers remembered here, Sonny among them.

VI

Where

Sergeant Sonny Lee Orbin Sr.

Missouri Department of Corrections · End of Watch July 18, 2021

Military Service

Sonny Lee Orbin Sr. served in the U.S. Navy (1993–1997) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Sonny Lee Orbin Sr.’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Where the Name Is Cut

Also Remembered

requiem.nw →

salute.nw →

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