Roll of Honor
Joseph Francis Merva
Incident
Chief of Police Joseph Merva suffered a fatal heart attack six days after responding to a multi-vehicle accident with injuries.
Chief Merva was the first officer on the scene. He provided first aid to several people who were injured after attempting to extricate a person who was trapped inside one of the vehicles that rolled over on to its roof. Once medics arrived at the scene he proceeded in assisting them in getting the victims into the ambulance and then directed traffic around the scene of the accident.
He returned to the police station after the accident was cleared and began displaying symptoms of a heart attack. When he arrived home after completing his shift he complained of chest pains and having a loss of appetite. He called off work the next day but returned to work the next following two days completing his normal shift work. While off duty at his home he suffered a fatal heart attack.
Chief Merva was a U.S Army veteran of WWII and had served with the Throop Borough Police Department for 17 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and three daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-CABC706A- 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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Joseph is one person.
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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.
Chief of Police Merva gave the Throop Borough Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Throop 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Joseph Francis Merva served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Chief of Police Joseph Francis Merva is one of 1 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 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 9.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Joseph Francis Merva's cause is highlighted.
How Joseph Francis Merva Compares
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Joseph Francis Merva is highlighted in Apr.
Incident Location
Military Service
Joseph Francis Merva served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Visit Joseph Francis Merva’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Throop Borough Police Department are honored on badge.nw.