Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Derek Stewart died as a result of contracting COVID-19 while serving at the Zephyrhills Correctional Institution at 2739 Gall Boulevard in Zephyrhills.
Sergeant Stewart had served with the Florida Department of Corrections for 21 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Sergeant Derek Stewart died on April 28, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 39.
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
He is survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FL-C01AD6C3- 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.
Sergeant Stewart gave the Florida Department of Corrections 21 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Florida. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Stewart.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Derek Stewart 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. Derek Stewart's cause is highlighted.
How Derek Stewart Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Derek Stewart is highlighted in Apr.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
32 officers from Florida Department of Corrections are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
