Patrolman

Michael Joseph Barry

Cambridge Police Department — Cambridge, MA
Cardiac
End of Watch June 13, 1963
Age 53
Tour of Duty 25 yrs
The Vigil Panel 216 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Michael Barry suffered a fatal heart attack while assisting two escapees into a police wagon at the intersection of Essex Street and Harvard Street.

The two girls had escaped from the mental ward at McLean Hospital earlier in the day. Several nurses from the hospital who were on their day off saw the girls riding bicycles near Harvard Square and alerted Patrolman Barry. He and the nurses followed the girls on foot for over one mile before a police wagon arrived. As he assisted the girls into the car he suddenly collapsed.

Patrolman Barry was taken to Cambridge City Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Patrolman Barry was survived by his wife and daughter.

Survivors

Patrolman Barry was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

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Tributes

25 years. You could have gone home.
Patrolman Barry gave the Cambridge Police Department 25 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Cambridge community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Barry.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Cambridge, Middlesex County, MA
Platform Identity cambpd.middlesex.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 13, 1963
Tour of Duty 25 yrs
Age 53
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

The Sacrifice · Cardiac

Michael is one of 1,307 officers lost to cardiac events in the United States, 4.7% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1963, 20 officers in the United States were lost to cardiac events, the 10th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Michael was 53. Of the 1,249 lost to cardiac events in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 43 and 55; the middle age was 48. Michael had served 25 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

June holds 7.2% of these deaths in the United States; January holds the most, 9.6%. Thursdays: 14.5%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Cardiac deaths account for 4.7% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 4th most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Cambridge Police Department has 12 officers remembered here, Michael among them.

VI

Where

Patrolman Michael Joseph Barry

Cambridge Police Department · End of Watch June 13, 1963

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 49-WT

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