Roll of Honor
Incident
Detective John Songy died after contracting COVID-19 as the result of a presumed exposure while on duty.
Detective Songy had served with the Rutland Police Department for eight years and had previously served with the Oakham Police Department for six years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Detective John D. Songy died on May 29, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 48.
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, daughter, and two stepchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MA-18CAB1B3- 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.
Detective Songy gave the Rutland Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Rutland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Songy.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Detective John D. Songy 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John D. Songy's cause is highlighted.
How John D. Songy Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. John D. Songy is highlighted in May.