Charles Tilden Crooker

Quincy Police Department — Quincy, MA

Illness

End of Watch October 21, 1918

Age 55

Tour of Duty 19 yrs

The Vigil Panel 35 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Patrolman Charles Crooker died after contracting the influenza virus while manning a city ambulance during the Influenza Epidemic of 1918. It is believed he contracted the virus while tending to victims at a temporary hospital. Patrolman Crooker had served with the Quincy Police Department for 19 years. Effects of the 1918-1920 Influenza Pandemic on Law Enforcement Also known as "Spanish Flu" or "LaGrippe," the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 to early 1920, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population—and killed approximately 675,000 Americans. The effect of the influenza epidemic in the United States was so dire that the average life span in the U.S. fell by twelve years. The four waves of the flu began in March 1918 and ended in April 1920. Many officers contracted this virus due to the requirements of their job. The names of every officer who died in the line of duty from the Influenza Pandemic will likely never be known. Still, ODMP researchers continue to uncover new cases as part of our mission never to forget the fallen. Please click here to view ODMP's Influenza memorial, listing all known fallen officers from the pandemic.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-0FEDC932
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Crooker gave the Quincy Police Department 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the Quincy community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Crooker.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Quincy Police Department

Location Quincy, MA

Platform Identity qpd.norfolk.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 21, 1918

Tour of Duty 19 yrs

Age 55

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Patrolman Charles Tilden Crooker 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 MA, 59 of 469 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 12.6% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.

At Quincy Police Department, 2 of 5 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 40% of this agency's fallen.

Quincy Police Department

of 5 officers

40% Illness

MA — Statewide

of 469 officers

12.6% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness