A man who died from an illness resulting from his work as a concrete fabricator and a 21-year-old crushed by a front loader at a Richland construction site are among the 115 fallen workers state officials will honor April 28. 

The state Department of Labor & Industries’ (L&I) annual Worker Memorial Day ceremony memorializes those who died on the job or as a result of their work.  

L&I Director Joel Sacks, Gov. Bob Ferguson and representatives from the Washington State Labor Council, Association of Washington Business and Washington Self-Insurers Association are expected to speak at the 2 p.m. ceremony at L&I’s headquarters in Tumwater. 

“Each year this ceremony is one of the most important, and perhaps most difficult, things we do,” Sacks said in a statement. “It’s a reminder of how important workplace safety is, and of the real-life, heartbreaking impact of work-related deaths.” 

During the ceremony, the names of the workers who died in 2025, as well as several others not recognized in previous years, will be read, accompanied by bell ringers from the Olympia and Tumwater fire departments. 

Nearly half of those being remembered died because of exposure to toxic chemicals. That included a dozen fallen workers connected to the Hanford site. It also includes 61-year-old Joseph Bauman of Pasco.  

His wife Miki Bauman said he died on their 35th wedding anniversary from obstructive pulmonary disease, according to the tribute she wrote for the ceremony. 

“Joe was a hard-working man, a true leader, loyal to all for whom he worked,” she said in the statement. “His expansive knowledge of the construction industry was often sought.” 

Other workers died from blunt force or crushing injuries, motor vehicle accidents and falls. That included John Palomino of Kennewick, who died May 23, 2025, when he attempted to stop a front loader from rolling downhill at his Richland worksite. That incident occurred in the Westcliffe Heights subdivision of Pahlisch Homes, according to media reports.  

“Johnny was a kind, joyful man,” his mother, Maria Palomino, wrote in her tribute. “He graduated and decided he wanted to work in the construction industry like his dad.” 

Other fallen workers from the Mid-Columbia being memorialized this year include: 

Benton City 

• Robert Gerds II, 70. 

Kennewick 

• Jesse Garrett, 66. 
• Brian Nopens, 65. 
• James Ono, 86. 
• David Rodeman, 39. 
• Godfrey Smith, 78. 
• Robert Watts, 67. 

Othello 

• Pedro Gaytan Dominguez, 36. 

Pasco 

• Vernon Frerking, 85. 
• Roberto Martinez, 51. 

Prosser 

• Michael Boob, 58. 

Richland 

• James Bateman, 65. 
• William Hayes, 75. 
• Kathleen Kraemer, 72. 
• Murrel Petry, 70. 
• Daniel Pitts, 59. 

Families, friends, L&I employees and the public are invited to attend the event in person or watch the ceremony via livestream and on L&I’s Facebook page.