Wayne H. Fortier
Agency patch
Detective

Wayne H. Fortier

Grafton County Sheriff's Department — North Haverhill, NH
Veteran → Illness
End of Watch December 8, 2021
Age 74
Tour of Duty 48 yrs
Badge Sheriff 14
The Vigil Panel 178 ›
Gender Male

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
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Wayne is one person.

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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

Type Sheriff's Office
Location North Haverhill, Grafton County, NH
Platform Identity gcso.grafton.nh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 8, 2021
Tour of Duty 48 yrs
Age 74
Badge Number Sheriff 14
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Military Service

Wayne H. Fortier served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Detective Wayne H. Fortier 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 NH, 3 of 59 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5.1% of this state's fallen. That is 5.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Grafton County Sheriff's Department
1
of 1 officers
100% Illness
NH — Statewide
3
of 59 officers
5.1% Illness
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Wayne H. Fortier's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Wayne H. Fortier Compares

Age at Death
74
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.7 years
Years of Service
48
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.7 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Wayne H. Fortier is highlighted in Dec.

Jan
294
Feb
198
Mar
186
Apr
226
May
201
Jun
182
Jul
217
Aug
281
Sep
353
Oct
376
Nov
239
Dec
285

Incident Location

Military Service

Wayne H. Fortier served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

Visit Wayne H. Fortier’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Grafton County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.