Roll of Honor
Woodrow E. Portzline
Incident
Land Management Officer Woodrow Portzline suffered a fatal heart attack while investigating reports of trespassing and poaching at a farm.
After speaking with the property owner, Officer Portzline was directed to a nearby vacant house where the suspects were believed to be hiding. As Officer Portzline quickly approached the home, he collapsed and died at the scene.
Officer Portzline was a United States Army Air Corps WWII veteran and United States Air Force veteran, earning the Purple Heart and Silver Star, who served with the Pennsylvania Game Commission for 25 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-EC28D860- 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.
Land Management Officer Portzline gave the Pennsylvania Game Commission 25 years.
Thank you for your service to the Harrisburg community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Woodrow E. Portzline served in the Other (1939â1945) before joining law enforcement.
Land Management Officer Woodrow E. Portzline 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 Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2 of 12 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 16.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Woodrow E. Portzline's cause is highlighted.
How Woodrow E. Portzline Compares
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Woodrow E. Portzline is highlighted in Oct.
Others Who Wore This Badge
11 officers from Pennsylvania Game Commission are honored on badge.nw.
