Roll of Honor
Richard William Newkirk
Incident
Correctional Officer Rich Newkirk died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 while serving at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center at 2700 Coral Ridge Avenue in Coralville.
Correctional Officer Newkirk was an Iowa National Guard veteran and had served with the Iowa Department of Corrections for 14 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Correctional Officer Richard William Newkirk died on November 3, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 35.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 3 at Iowa 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 son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IA-46E747A9- 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.
Correctional Officer Newkirk gave the Iowa Department of Corrections 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Iowa. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Newkirk.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Richard William Newkirk served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Correctional Officer Richard William Newkirk 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 IA, 12 of 226 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5.3% of this state's fallen. That is 3.8 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Iowa Department of Corrections, 3 of 14 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 21.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Richard William Newkirk's cause is highlighted.
How Richard William Newkirk Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Richard William Newkirk is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
13 officers from Iowa Department of Corrections are honored on badge.nw.
