OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
H.B. 81 Bill Analysis
135th General Assembly
Click here for H.B. 81’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Reported by Senate Transportation
Primary Sponsors: Reps. Robb Blasdel and Jones
Effective date:
Margaret E. Marcy, Attorney
SUMMARY
▪ Designates multiple memorial highways, bridges, and similar locations.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Memorial designations
The bill designates the following highways, bridges, and similar locations. It authorizes the
Director of Transportation to erect suitable markers along those locations indicating their names.
Designations
Designated Name Location Biographical Information
Jackson Township Veterans The eastbound and westbound
Memorial Parkway1 lanes of Fulton Road NW,
between Arlington Avenue NW
and Wales Avenue NW, in Stark
County
U.S. Army Private First Class The portion of State Route (SR) PFC Jerry Bockbrader was
Jerry Bockbrader Memorial 199, running in a northerly and serving with the U.S. Army
Highway2 southerly direction, between when he was killed in action by
communist forces on
This analysis was prepared before the report of the Senate Transportation Committee appeared in the
Senate Journal. Note that the legislative history may be incomplete.
1 R.C. 5534.105.
2 R.C. 5534.131.
November 12, 2024
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
Designations
Designated Name Location Biographical Information
West South Boundary Street September 18, 1967, in Thua
and SR 105, in Wood County Thien Province, Republic of
South Vietnam. PFC Bockbrader
was investigating a suspicious
person when he was killed by an
enemy grenade.
PFC Richard ‘Rick’ Wesley The eastbound and westbound PFC Richard ‘Rick’ Wesley
McFarland Memorial Highway3 lanes of SR 39, between McFarland served in the U.S.
Mansfield Lucas Road and Army during the Vietnam War.
Smart Road, in Richland County He was killed in action by
communist forces on August 10,
1970.
SPC Connor Wilson-Reichert The westbound and eastbound SPC Connor Wilson-Reichert
Memorial Highway4 lanes of SR 283, between East served as an Explosive
250th Street and Eastbrook Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
Drive, in Cuyahoga County Technician in the U.S. Army
from 2013 to 2016, including
during operations in
Afghanistan. He lost his battle
with PTSD and took his own life
on February 14, 2020.
American Gold Star Mothers, The northbound and American Gold Star Mothers,
Inc. Memorial Highway5 southbound lanes of I-77, Inc. is a nonprofit organization
between I-76 and Lovers Lane, of mothers whose sons and
in Akron, OH daughters served in the U.S.
armed forces and either died
while on active duty, died as a
result of their service, or went
missing in action.
Patrolman William J. Keller The portion of I-76, between On October 14, 1972, Patrolman
Memorial Highway6 Lakewood Road and Industry William J. Keller was fatally
Road, in Portage County struck by a drunk driver during a
traffic stop on I-76 in Portage
3 R.C. 5534.154.
4 R.C. 5534.162.
5 R.C. 5534.301.
6 R.C. 5534.424.
P a g e |2 H.B. 81
As Reported by Senate Transportation
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
Designations
Designated Name Location Biographical Information
County. Patrolman Keller served
with the Ohio State Highway
Patrol for 10 months before his
fatality.
Chief Radio Operator Walter The northwest-bound and Chief Radio Operator Walter
Dawson Memorial Highway7 southeast-bound lanes of U.S. Dawson was killed in the line of
Route 422, between Warren duty on May 31, 1953, in a fatal
Burton Road and SR 534, in car crash. He served with the
Trumbull County Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Patrolman James P. Gardner The portion of U.S. Route 62, Patrolman James P. Gardner
Memorial Highway8 running in an easterly and was killed on February 28, 1948,
westerly direction, between in a patrol car crash while
Western Avenue and South pursuing a traffic violator near
Mahoning Avenue in Alliance, Alliance on U.S. Route 62. Prior
Ohio to his employment with the
Ohio State Highway Patrol,
Gardner served for three and a
half years with the U.S. Navy in
World War II.
Police Chief Ronnie Ricketts, Sr. The portion of SR 170, running Police Chief Ronnie Ricketts, a
Memorial Highway9 in a northwesterly and 25-year police force veteran,
southeasterly direction, within was serving as the Interim
the Village of New Middletown, Police Chief for New
in Mahoning County Middletown when he was killed
while on duty in a motor vehicle
accident on April 2, 1997.
Sheriff Dale R. Williams The portion of SR 39, running in Sheriff Dale R. Williams served
Memorial Highway10 a westerly and easterly as the sheriff for Carroll County
direction, between Dellroy, OH for 18 years and as a police
and Carrollton, OH, in Carroll officer since 1985. He passed
County away peacefully on September
24, 2022, during his term.
7 R.C. 5534.425.
8 R.C. 5534.426.
9 R.C. 5534.441.
10 R.C. 5534.452.
P a g e |3 H.B. 81
As Reported by Senate Transportation
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
Designations
Designated Name Location Biographical Information
Dispatcher T.J. D’Apolito The southbound lane of SR 46, Anthony “T.J.” D’Apolito served
Memorial Highway11 between Youngstown Drive and as an Ohio State Highway Patrol
SR 446, in Mahoning County dispatcher for 13 years. He died
of a heart attack while working
on March 17, 2021.
Town and Country Firefighter Lt. The northbound and On April 11, 2022, Lieutenant
Philip M. Wigal Memorial southbound lanes of SR 301, Philip M. Wigal was struck and
Highway 12 between SR 302 and the killed while working at an
northern county border, in accident site on I-71 in Wayne
Wayne County County. Lt. Wigal served with
the Town and Country Fire
Department of West Salem,
Ohio for 16 years.
Firefighter Charles D. Swank The portion of SR 97, running in Firefighter Charles D. Swank
Memorial Highway13 a northwesterly and passed away unexpectedly
southeasterly direction, during firefighter training in
between Bellville, OH and Pensacola, Florida on December
Butler, OH, in Richland County 8, 2022. He had served as a
firefighter for 17 years with the
Washington Township Fire
Department in Dublin, Ohio.
Prior to becoming a firefighter,
he also previously served in the
U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne
Division.
Patrolman Sean VanDenberg The northbound and Patrolman Sean VanDenberg
Memorial Highway14 southbound lanes of SR 236, died on December 25, 2021,
between SR 93, in Summit from complications of
County, and Lafayette Drive, in contracting COVID-19 after
Stark County arresting and transporting a
COVID-19 positive suspect to
jail. Patrolman VanDenberg
served with the Lawrence
11 R.C. 5534.453.
12 R.C. 5534.485.
13 R.C. 5534.486.
14 R.C. 5534.497.
P a g e |4 H.B. 81
As Reported by Senate Transportation
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
Designations
Designated Name Location Biographical Information
Township Police Department for
eight years prior to his death.
Corporal John E. Ruch Memorial The northeast-bound and Corporal John E. Ruch, a
Highway15 southwest-bound lanes of U.S. member of the Ohio State
Route 20, between Center Road Highway Patrol, was killed in an
and Gerald Road, in Ashtabula automobile accident during a
County high-speed pursuit on March 4,
1942. He had served with the
Patrol for eight years prior to his
death.
Kris Jordan Memorial Highway16 The portion of SR 36, running in Kris Jordan served as both a
a northeasterly and member of the Ohio House of
southwesterly direction, Representatives and the Ohio
between the eastern border of Senate, representing Delaware
Scioto Township and the County from 2008 until his
northern border of Ostrander, unexpected death on February
OH, in Delaware County 25, 2023.
Brigid Kelly Norwood Lateral17 The westbound and eastbound Brigid Kelly was a member of
lanes of SR 562, between I-75 the Ohio House of
and I-71, in Hamilton County Representatives, representing
parts of Hamilton County from
January 2017 to December
2022. She then served as
Auditor of Hamilton County. She
died on March 26, 2024, after a
two-year battle with esophageal
cancer.
Veterans Memorial Bridge18 The bridge spanning the
Mahoning River, located in
Newton Falls, OH, in Trumbull
County, and being a part of SR
534
15 R.C. 5534.499.
16 R.C. 5534.503.
17 R.C. 5534.512.
18 R.C. 5534.612.
P a g e |5 H.B. 81
As Reported by Senate Transportation
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
Designations
Designated Name Location Biographical Information
Staff Sgt. Zachary Wobler The northbound and Staff Sgt. Zachary Wobler was
Memorial Highway19 southbound lanes of U.S. Route killed in action on February 6,
127, between County Road 126 2005, by insurgent small arms
and Paulding County Road 60, in fire in Iraq, while serving in the
Paulding County U.S. Army during Operation
Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sergeant George P. Mizik The northbound and Staff Sergeant George P. Mizik
(USMC) Memorial Highway20 southbound lanes of I-77, served with the U.S. Marine
between mile marker 25 and Corps in World War II and was a
mile marker 29, in Noble County Purple Heart recipient. He
returned to Ohio, was active in
his community, and passed
away September 9, 2005.