Roll of Honor

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Patrolman

John George Gillespie

Pittsburgh Bureau of Police — Pittsburgh, PA

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch January 25, 1955

Age 66

Tour of Duty 40 yrs

The Vigil Panel 90 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 100

Incident

Patrolman John Gillespie succumbed to injuries sustained five years earlier when he was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic at the intersection of Pioneer Avenue and West Liberty Avenue.

He was transported to a local hospital where he remained for almost four years, being released on September 20th, 1953, after undergoing 16 different surgeries. He returned home where his conditioned continued to worsen. He suffered a fatal heart attack as result of his injuries on January 25th, 1955.

Patrolman Gillespie was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and had served with the Pittsburgh Police Department for 40 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-3C720DBF
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. Army. One record, 2 gates. John 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.
Patrolman Gillespie gave the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police 40 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Pittsburgh Bureau of Police

Type Federal Agency

Location Pittsburgh, PA

Platform Identity pittpd.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 25, 1955

Tour of Duty 40 yrs

Age 66

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

John George Gillespie served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman John George Gillespie 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 PA, 417 of 1,261 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.1% of this state's fallen. That is 33.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, 38 of 101 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 37.6% of this agency's fallen.

Pittsburgh Bureau of Police

of 101 officers

37.6% Accident

PA — Statewide

417

of 1,261 officers

33.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident