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Police Officer

Charles Aloysius Prendergast

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Illness Veteran

End of Watch October 20, 1918

Age 37

Tour of Duty 10 yrs 1 mo

Badge 2972

The Vigil Panel 35 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 377

Incident

Police Officer Charles Prendergast died as a result of complications of Spanish Influenza while acting as a stretcher-bearer for Spanish Influenza victims.

Officer Prendergast and seven other officers volunteered to be stretcher-bearers at various hospitals in the city after the department had made a request for volunteers due to the impact of the Spanish Influenza. Officer Prendergast had fallen ill shortly after the assignment and died at his home due to complications of the Spanish Influenza.

Due to the devastation of the Spanish Influenza pandemic, Philadelphia Police districts were used as makeshift hospitals. Police officers were ordered to fill and deliver prescriptions, act as pallbearers of victims, placard homes, collect bodies of victims of homes, assist doctors and health officers, and make sure establishments were closed and following guidelines to stop the spread of the flu.

Police Officer Prendergast was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for more than 10 years. He was survived by his wife and infant son. Officer Prendergast was attached to the 29th Police District.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and infant son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-0E82E9CB
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer Prendergast gave the Philadelphia Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Philadelphia Police Department

Location Philadelphia, PA

Platform Identity ppd.philadelphia.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 20, 1918

Tour of Duty 10 yrs 1 mo

Age 37

Badge Number 2972

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Military Service

Charles Aloysius Prendergast served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Police Officer Charles Aloysius Prendergast 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 PA, 121 of 1,261 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 9.6% of this state's fallen. That is 0.5 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.

At Philadelphia Police Department, 66 of 378 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 17.5% of this agency's fallen.

Philadelphia Police Department

of 378 officers

17.5% Illness

PA — Statewide

121

of 1,261 officers

9.6% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness