Richard William Newkirk
Agency patch
Correctional Officer

Richard William Newkirk

Iowa Department of Corrections — Des Moines, IA
End of Watch November 3, 2021
Age 35
Tour of Duty 14 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Correctional Officer Rich Newkirk died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 while serving at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center at 2700 Coral Ridge Avenue in Coralville.

Correctional Officer Newkirk was an Iowa National Guard veteran and had served with the Iowa Department of Corrections for 14 years.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Correctional Officer Richard William Newkirk died on November 3, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 35.

He is one of 885 officers honored here, and one of 3 at Iowa 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 wife and son.

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. One record, 3 gates. Richard is one person.

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Tributes

The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Correctional Officer Newkirk gave the Iowa Department of Corrections 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Iowa. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Newkirk.

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

Agency

Type Corrections
Location Des Moines, Polk County, IA
Platform Identity idcorr.polk.ia.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 3, 2021
Tour of Duty 14 yrs
Age 35
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Military Service

Richard William Newkirk served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Illness

Richard 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

Richard was 35. 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. Richard had served 14 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.

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

When

November holds 7.8% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Wednesdays: 14%.

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

Iowa Department of Corrections has 14 officers remembered here, Richard among them.

VI

Where

Correctional Officer Richard William Newkirk

Iowa Department of Corrections · End of Watch November 3, 2021

Military Service

Richard William Newkirk served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit Richard William Newkirk’s page on salute.nw →

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

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 29-E

Also Remembered

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial — requiem.nw →

salute.nw →

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