John Hugh "Smokey" McGill

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Cardiac Veteran

End of Watch December 17, 1983

Age 56

Tour of Duty 29 yrs

Badge 8530

The Vigil Panel 127 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 377

Incident

Sergeant John McGill suffered a fatal heart attack during a stressful situation while on duty. Sergeant McGill was a U.S. Navy WWII veteran and served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 29 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two daughters, two sons, one brother, six sisters, and three grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-C6982460
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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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.
Sergeant McGill gave the Philadelphia Police Department 29 years.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia 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

Department Philadelphia Police Department

Location Philadelphia, PA

Platform Identity ppd.philadelphia.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 17, 1983

Tour of Duty 29 yrs

Age 56

Badge Number 8530

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Military Service

John Hugh "Smokey" McGill served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Sergeant John Hugh "Smokey" McGill is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In PA, 118 of 1,261 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 9.4% of this state's fallen. That is 5.4 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.

At Philadelphia Police Department, 37 of 378 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 9.8% of this agency's fallen.

Philadelphia Police Department

of 378 officers

9.8% Cardiac

PA — Statewide

118

of 1,261 officers

9.4% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac