Roll of Honor
Kelly Jo Klimkowski
Incident
Correctional Officer Kelly Klimkowski died as a result of contracting COVID-19 while serving at the Santa Rosa Corrections Institution at 5850 E Milton Road in Milton.
Officer Klimkowski had served with the Florida Department of Corrections for 15 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Correctional Officer Kelly Jo Klimkowski died on September 28, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 42.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 6 at Florida 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
She is survived by her father, brother, two sisters, niece, and cousin.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FL-A34D4870- 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.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Kelly. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Correctional Officer Klimkowski gave the Florida Department of Corrections 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Florida. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Klimkowski.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Correctional Officer Kelly Jo Klimkowski is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In FL, 81 of 1,008 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 8% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Florida Department of Corrections, 6 of 33 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 18.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Kelly Jo Klimkowski's cause is highlighted.
How Kelly Jo Klimkowski Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Kelly Jo Klimkowski is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
32 officers from Florida Department of Corrections are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
