Joseph Louis Hojak

Johnstown Police Department — Johnstown, PA

Cardiac

End of Watch December 25, 1949

Age 40

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

The Vigil Panel 86 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 8

Incident

Sergeant Joseph Hojak suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after assisting other public safety personnel at the scene of a fire in the Kernville section of the city. After assisting at the scene he returned to the public safety building and collapsed. He was taken to Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Sergeant Hojak had served with the Johnstown Police Department for 12 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-24031295
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.
Sergeant Hojak gave the Johnstown Police Department 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Johnstown community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Hojak.

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

Agency

Department Johnstown Police Department

Location Johnstown, PA

Platform Identity jpd.cambria.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 25, 1949

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

Age 40

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Sergeant Joseph Louis Hojak is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In PA, 118 of 1,261 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 9.4% of this state's fallen. That is 5.4 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.

At Johnstown Police Department, 2 of 9 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 22.2% of this agency's fallen.

Johnstown Police Department

of 9 officers

22.2% Cardiac

PA — Statewide

118

of 1,261 officers

9.4% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac