Roll of Honor

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Sergeant

Sonny Lee Orbin Sr.

Missouri Department of Corrections — Jefferson City, MO

Veteran → Illness

End of Watch July 18, 2021

Age 46

The Vigil Panel 175 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 19

Incident

Sergeant Sonny Orbin died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty while assigned to the Women’s Eastern Reception and Diagnostic Correctional Center in Vandalia, Missouri.

Sergeant Orbin was a U.S. Navy veteran. He is survived by his four children and parents.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Sergeant Sonny Lee Orbin Sr. died on July 18, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 46.

He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 8 at Missouri 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

He is survived by his four children and parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-E3FA98CA
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Sonny. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Sonny is one person.

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Tributes

The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Sergeant Orbin served with the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Thank you for your service to the people of Missouri. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Orbin.

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

Agency

Department Missouri Department of Corrections

Type Corrections

Location Jefferson City, MO

Platform Identity mdcorr.cole.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 18, 2021

Age 46

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Military Service

Sonny Lee Orbin Sr. served in the U.S. Navy (1993â1997) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Sergeant Sonny Lee Orbin Sr. is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In MO, 26 of 813 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 3.2% of this state's fallen. That is 3.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Missouri Department of Corrections, 8 of 20 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 40% of this agency's fallen.

Missouri Department of Corrections

of 20 officers

40% Illness

MO — Statewide

of 813 officers

3.2% Illness

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Illness