William Joseph Luce
Agency patch
Police Officer

William Joseph Luce

Chicago Police Department — Chicago, IL
Veteran → Illness
End of Watch August 14, 1989
Age 45
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer William Luce died from cancer which he contracted after being exposed to radiation while on duty. He was testing different rifles when a scope on one of them exploded, exposing him to radiation. Officer Luce was a Vietnam War veteran.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and six children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
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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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. William is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer Luce gave the Chicago Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Chicago, Cook County, IL
Platform Identity cpd.cook.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 14, 1989
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
Age 45
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Military Service

William Joseph Luce served in the U.S. Air Force (1963–1964) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Illness

William 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
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1989, 1 officer in the United States was lost to illness, the 75th heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

William was 45. 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. William had served 20 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.

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

When

August holds 10.2% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Mondays: 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

Chicago Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, William among them.

Across the years

Police Officer William Joseph Luce

Chicago Police Department · End of Watch August 14, 1989

Military Service

William Joseph Luce served in the U.S. Air Force (1963–1964) before joining law enforcement.

Visit William Joseph Luce’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 53-W

Also Remembered

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