Robert E. Donahue

Akron Police Department — Akron, OH

Illness

End of Watch July 31, 1968

Age 58

Tour of Duty 31 yrs

Badge 78

The Vigil Panel 104 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 27

Incident

Officer Donahue died after experiencing a blood clot while subduing a rioter who was resisting arrest. During the struggle, he was struck in the ribs, which resulted in a blood clot developing and moving to his heart. He died four days later as a result. Officer Donahue had served with the Akron Police Department for 31 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, son, and two grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OH-9AF125DC
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

31 years. You could have gone home.
Officer Donahue gave the Akron Police Department 31 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Akron community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Donahue.

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

Agency

Department Akron Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Akron, Summit County, OH

Platform Identity apd.summit.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 31, 1968

Tour of Duty 31 yrs

Age 58

Badge Number 78

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Officer Robert E. Donahue is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.

In OH, 49 of 991 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4.9% of this state's fallen. That is 4.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Akron Police Department, 3 of 28 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 10.7% of this agency's fallen.

Akron Police Department

of 28 officers

10.7% Illness

OH — Statewide

of 991 officers

4.9% Illness

Nationwide

of 97,756 officers

0% Illness