Roll of Honor
Wayne H. Fortier
Incident
Detective Wayne Fortier died as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Detective Fortier was a United States Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam war. He had served with the Grafton County Sheriff's Department for over 18 years. His law enforcement career spanned 48 years, having previously served with the Haverhill Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Plymouth Police Department.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Detective Wayne H. Fortier died on December 8, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 74.
He is one of 884 officers honored here.
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 wife, five daughters, and seven grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NH-3DA1943C- 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
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Detective Fortier gave the Grafton County Sheriff's Department 48 years.
Thank you for your service to the North Haverhill community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Fortier.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Wayne H. Fortier served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Detective Wayne H. Fortier 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 NH, 3 of 59 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5.1% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Wayne H. Fortier's cause is highlighted.
How Wayne H. Fortier Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Wayne H. Fortier is highlighted in Dec.