Roll of Honor
James Royce Pitney
Incident
Park Ranger James Pitney was killed when a large piece of a tree fell and struck him on the head as he walked beneath a worker in a tree-topping bucket.
The work crew was topping the tree at a campground at Charles Mill Lake when the accident occurred. Ranger Pitney was transported to MedCentral-Mansfield Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Ranger Pitney was a US Air Force veteran. In addition to being a park ranger, he also served as a part-time deputy for the Ashland County Sheriff's Department.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and two sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-OH-79C4B711- 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. James 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.
Park Ranger Pitney gave the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the New Philadelphia community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
James Royce Pitney served in the U.S. Air Force (1971â1991) before joining law enforcement.
Park Ranger James Royce Pitney is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In OH, 318 of 991 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.1% of this state's fallen. That is 32.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Royce Pitney's cause is highlighted.
How James Royce Pitney Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Royce Pitney is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Military Service
James Royce Pitney served in the U.S. Air Force (1971–1991) before joining law enforcement.
Visit James Royce Pitney’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District are honored on badge.nw.