Washington State Retired Deputy Sheriffs and Police Officers Association

P.O. Box 13265 Spokane Valley, WA 99213

Website: www.wsrdspoa.org

January 2021

Happy New Year

President

Joe Dawson, King Co SO

Vice Presidents

West: Ronnie Johnston Tukwila PD

East: Don McCabe, Spokane Co SO

Secretary

Brent Beden, King Co SO

Treasurer

Jim Hill, Spokane Co SO

Members at Large

West Members At Large: Zbig Kasprzyk, King Co SO; Jim Juchmes, King Co SO

 East Members At Large: Dennis Hooper, Spokane PD; Doug Partlow, Tukwila PD

Meeting Schedules

Puget Sound Area 1st Tuesday of the Month

Johnny’s At Fife Restaurant

5211 20 ST. E.

Fife, WA. 98424

11:00 AM

Spokane County

Retired Sheriff Deputies, Employees and Spouses Association

1st Monday of the Month at 11:30AM

 Darcy’s Restaurant

10502 E Sprague Ave.

Spokane Valley, WA 99206

WSRDSPOA ANNUAL CONVENTION

Kennewick

September 16-18, 2021

 Columbia Sun RV Resort

103907 Wiser Parkway

Kennewick, WA

855-833-3886 or 509-420-4880 http://columbiasunrvresort.com/

ALL MEETINGS CANCELLED FOR COVID-19.

Holiday Wishes Everyone!

We are about to start another great year with the Association. Hopefully the Covid-19 virus will be controlled during 2021 in time for us to attend the Annual Convention.

Speaking of the Annual Convention, be sure that you have checked on your reservation at the Columbia Sun RV Resort. They held our reservations over from 2020 until 2021.

The Old Cops party in Yuma, at Tom Pritchard’s home has been cancelled due to Covid-19. We’re looking forward to 2022.

The legislature is about to begin their 2021 session. They will be looking for funds no doubt. See the article from the LEOFF I Coalition in this issue. We do appreciate the Coalition keeping an eye on the Select Committee on Pension Policy meetings. Their attendance at SCPP meetings save us from travelling to or attending those meetings. If you haven’t considered being a Coalition member, now might be a good time.

Our association election has concluded. There are only two changes. Brent Beden has stepped into the Secretary position and our new west side representative at large is Jim Juchmes from King County S.O. Welcome Jim!

Lastly, I received a comment on my last president’s message about contacting healthcare providers to negotiate a lower price for services. A legislative Bill is being considered to place this in the hands of our LEOFF I employers. Member Dave Robinson, retired Clallam Co. S.O., contacted me to state that he’s been doing this on an individual basis with success. Great! I have no interest in this bill. I was just informing the membership. If it works for you, don’t fix it.

By now your holiday season for this year is over.  (Hoping 2021 will be much better for us all).

Stay Healthy!

Joe Dawson

2021 DUES ARE DUE

Please get your dues in ASAP if you haven’t already, they are $30 per family.

WSRDSPOA PO Box 13265 Spokane Valley, WA 99213

THE OLYMPIA REPORT

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

by: Bill Dickinson

The legislature has not met for many months, but they are scheduled to meet in January. Due to the financial deficit, we will be watching the legislature carefully to see how they plan to address their need for more funding.

Meanwhile, there are still legislative committees that continue to meet and one of those is the Select Committee on Pension Policy (SCPP) which reviews and makes recommendations to the legislature-at-large on issues relative to State Pensions such as LEOFF. The committee typically meets when the legislature is not in session although they can call special meetings anytime.  They have been meeting since June, monthly and we make every effort to attend each of their meetings to see if they are discussing anything that could affect our pension plans. The November meeting was held at 10 AM on the 17^th and like all the other meetings since the pandemic, I was available to attend only by video conferencing, which saved me a 5hour drive to Olympia. I could grow to appreciate virtual attendance at these meetings. The agenda for November was light with only a few items. They discussed disability benefits for PSERS and LEOFF 2, there was a discussion regarding interruptive military service credits, another discussion on portability of retirement benefits under RCW 41.54, and an annual update from the Washington State Investment Board which includes investment results for all the state retirement systems. I was happy to see that despite the stock market dive that occurred when the pandemic hit, that our State Investment Board continues to do a good job of growing the funds in all State of Washington plans.  The December meeting has been cancelled so January legislative action is next up!

I have included two of the slides from their presentation below which shows the dollar value of all the retirement plans as well as the historical returns on their investments. If you find my copies hard to read, anyone can access the SCPP meetings via the internet and you can also find their agendas, minutes and presentation materials online by googling “Washington State Select Committee on Pension Policy” but rest assured we are monitoring their meetings and will keep you advised of anything we think would warrant the attention of LEOFF retirees.

BRUCE’S BOOK REVIEW

No Second Place Winner by Bill Jordan

First published in 1965, this was the first ‘gun fighting’ book I ever read. In fact, in the late nineteen sixties, it was one of only a handful of books of this type in print. As a testament to its timeless appeal, it has been re-published over a dozen times in the last 60 years and is still available today.

Bill Jorden served with the U.S. Marine Corps in both WWII and Korea but he is best known for his lengthy career in the U.S. Border Patrol. Working on the Mexican border, Jordan more than once was forced to apply his skill with a handgun in order to insure his survival. His proficiency did not go unnoticed and he began teaching and demonstrating those skills to other members of the law enforcement community, and eventually won more recognition as a competitive and exhibition shooter. He was instrumental in convincing Smith & Wesson to chamber their K-Frame revolvers in .357 Magnum, resulting in the creation of the Model 19. He considered the powerful .357 in a (for back then) lightweight revolver the ‘police officer’s dream’. He also designed what became known as the ‘Border Patrol’ holster to carry that new handgun.

When I recently re-read my copy of No Second Place Winner a while back, I thought I was doing so for nostalgic reasons (the fact that I carried a Model 19 in a Border Patrol holster for the first dozen or more years of my career probably had something to do with that). And the book did bring back some memories of equipment and technique that I had long forgotten about. The interesting thing, though, is how much of what Jordan said over half a century ago, is still relevant today. Tools and techniques may have evolved, but the need to have the resolve to effectively employ them has remained a constant.

Bill Jordan was said to be every bit the country gentleman. So, when you read this book, read it in a slow Texas drawl. If you have read this work before, it’s worth a re-read. If you have not, I highly recommend it.  Whether you glean any practical information from it or not, it is an opportunity to get to know someone who seemed like a very fine man.

RBO

When one door closes….

1. When one door closes and another door opens, you are probably in prison.

2. To me, “drink responsibly” means don’t spill it.

3. Age 60 might be the new 40, but 9:00 pm is the new midnight.

4. It’s the start of a brand-new day, and I’m off like a herd of turtles.

5. The older I get, the earlier it gets late.

6. When I say, “The other day,” I could be referring to any time between yesterday and 15 years ago.

7. I remember being able to get up without making sound effects.

8. I had my patience tested. I’m negative.

9. Remember, if you lose a sock in the dryer, it comes back as a Tupperware lid that doesn’t fit any of your containers.

10. If you’re sitting in public and a stranger takes the seat next to you, just stare straight ahead and say, “Did you bring the money?”

11. When you ask me what I am doing today, and I say “nothing,” it does not mean I am free. It means I am doing nothing.

12. I finally got eight hours of sleep. It took me three days, but whatever.

13. I run like the winded.

14. I hate when a couple argues in public, and I missed the beginning and don’t know whose side I’m on.

15. When someone asks what I did over the weekend, I squint and ask, “Why, what did you hear?”

16. When you do squats, are your knees supposed to sound like a goat chewing on an aluminum can stuffed with celery?

17. I don’t mean to interrupt people. I just randomly remember things and get really excited.

18. When I ask for directions, please don’t use words like “east.”

19. Don’t bother walking a mile in my shoes. That would be boring. Spend 30 seconds in my head. That’ll freak you right out.

20. Sometimes, someone unexpected comes into your life out of nowhere, makes your heart race, and changes you forever. We call those people cops.

21. My luck is like a bald guy who just won a comb.

Deaths

Deputy Daryl Shuey, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office,

EOW 10 November 2020

We regret to inform you that Pierce County Deputy Daryl Shuey passed away the morning of 11/10/2020, while working on patrol in the Parkland-Spanaway area.

The department reports that at 6:16 a.m. a passerby called 911 to report that a deputy was found unresponsive in a parking lot in the 14900 block of Pacific Avenue South. Deputies and medics rushed to the scene and attempted CPR prior to the deputy being transported to nearby hospital, where he passed away from what appears to be a medical emergency.

Deputy Daryl Shuey, #342, had served with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department since 1994. Deputy Shuey was 57 years old, a proud husband and father, and a beloved member of the department. He loved being a police officer and dedicated his life to helping others. He worked dayshift central patrol and had just started his shift when the incident occurred.

Police Officer Charlie Cortez, Tulalip Tribal Police Department,

EOW 17 November 2020

Police Officer Charlie Cortez died after the 24-foot fisheries enforcement vessel he was in capsized after being struck by a rogue wave in the Puget Sound, Washington, at about 9:00 pm.

He and his partner had just escorted a distressed boater into Tulalip Bay when their vessel was struck by the wave and capsized. A search was immediately initiated by tribal, local, state, and federal agencies in the area. Officer Cortez’s partner was located in the water suffering from hypothermia near Hat Island at about 11:45 pm and rescued by tribal fishermen.

Officer Cortez was not located and, due to cold water temperatures and adverse weather conditions, it was determined that Officer Cortez could not have survived. The search and recovery operation was suspended on November 19th, 2020.

Officer Cortez had served with the Tulalip Tribal Police Department for three years and was 29 years old.

Jon W. Reynoldsen. Jon was retired from the Pierce County SO. Jon W. Reynoldson, 82, passed away at his home in Gig Harbor on July 2, 2020. Jon was born November 12,1937 to Isabel and Frances Grubb, adopted by Elsie and Andrew Reynoldson, and raised with sister Sandra. One of the highlights of Jon’s life was meeting his birth mother Isabel, brother Bob and sister Sue in 1993. The Reynoldson and Grubb families shared many very special times together; Jon was so very grateful for his time with Isabel, Bob, Sue, and their families. Jon married his Stadium High School sweetheart, Sandra (Sandy) Sommer, in 1957. Married for 63 years, Jon and Sandy’s life together was filled with love, laughter, hard work, and dedication to each other and to their family. Jon and Sandy’s deep commitment, love, and mutual respect for each other is a legacy that will live on in the hearts of those who know and love them. After Jon’s retirement from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, Jon and Sandy built and operated Gig Harbor Health Care until retiring again in 1995. Jon and Sandy embraced retirement with enthusiasm spending time RV’ing around the country, boating, traveling the world, and spending time in their home away from home in Surprise, Arizona. Jon especially loved playing poker with Sandy and the members of the Poker Club at Sun City Grand. Jon is survived by the love of his life Sandy, three children Lori Jacoby (Greg), Jon Reynoldson, Jr. and Michael Reynoldson; seven grandchildren Erin (Wegner) Metschke, Cory Wegner, Sarah (Reynoldson) McSorley, Katie Reynoldson, Conrad Reynoldson (mom Kathi Reynoldson), Kathryn and Ben Jacoby; four great grandchildren, Maya Reynoldson, Jack and Charlotte McSorley, and Olive Metschke; brother Bob (Debbie) Grubb, sister Sue (Chuck) Guerrini, and many extended family members. The family would like to sincerely thank Dr. Mark Craddock for his kindness and care for Jon over so many years; and to the St. Francis Hospice staff for their compassion and care for Jon over the past few weeks. So, hold your loved ones close today and whisper in their ear, tell them how much you love them and that you’ll always hold them dear.

Nicholas J. Giardina. Nick was retired Bellevue PD Chief. Nick passed away on July 23, 2020, he was married to his wife, Rosemary, for 71 years.

Bob Dunkay. Bob was a trooper with WSP, he then went to work for Kent Fire and retired from there. Bob passed away on October 10, 2020

Ralph E. Lindamood. Ralph was retired from King County SO. Ralph E. Lindamood, 75, of Portsmouth, Ohio, passed away, Saturday, October 31, 2020 in Columbus, Ohio. Ralph was born March 1, 1945 in Portsmouth, Ohio, a son of the late Claude and Rosa Horsley Lindamood. Ralph retired from King County Sheriff’s Office in Seattle Washington. Along with his parents he is preceded in death by two brothers, Claude Lindamood Jr. and Jim Prestel and two sisters, Mary Martin and Ella Venturino Fannin. He is survived by his wife, Debbie Lindamood, two brothers, Raymond (Barbara) Lindamood of Portsmouth, Ohio and Robert (Iva) Lindamood of Firebrick, Kentucky, three sisters, Evelyn (John) Osborne of South Webster, Ohio, Ann (John) Guddard of Portsmouth, Ohio and Ruth (Bill) Morter of Fairborn, Ohio, two step children, Wendy Clemente and Tommy Shriver Jr. and several nieces and nephews.

Harold Betler. Harold retired from Sedro-Woolley PD. Harold Beitler peacefully passed away November 10th at the age of 93 surrounded by his family. He was born to George “Dode” and Pauline Beitler on October 19th, 1927 in St. John, Kansas. When the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl hit the mid-West the family moved to California when he was 8 years old. The family later moved north and settled in Sedro-Woolley when he was 16. Harold left high school early to join the Merchant Marines; after a year long tour he returned to finish high school. Harold joined the Army and proudly served in the Korean War where he earned the rank of Sergeant. When he returned home in 1952 his love of cars led him to build his first race car and travel to several tracks around the state. He was one of many volunteers that helped build Skagit Speedway and he raced the first race there on Labor Day 1954. Harold loved Sedro-Woolley; he was a policeman for 20 years, volunteer firemen for 37 years, city councilman for 8 years and volunteer ambulance driver for 13 years. He had over 75 years of community service for Sedro-Woolley. He was always ready to help a friend or teach a co-worker about his job. You knew if he liked you by the fun-teasing he gave you. Harold was proud of the 4 boys he raised and enjoyed his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He married Bonna Harrison in 1988 and they enjoyed traveling to many locations at home and abroad. Harold is survived by his four sons; Dan (Pat) Beitler of Mt. Vernon, Gene (Suzie) Beitler of Mesquite, NV, Steve Beitler of Burlington and Brian (Linda) Beitler of Fargo, ND. He has two step children, Greg (Sue) Elder of Adamstown, MD and Angie (Jim) Jablonski of O’fallon, IL; along with numerous grandchildren; great grandchildren and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents George “Dode” and Pauline Beitler; his brother Johnnie Beitler and his sister, Juanita Crumrine. Harold was very proud to serve his country and community and he flew the American flag on a regular basis.

Gail Patricia Lusher. Wife of Jerry Lusher (Ret. KCSO Sgt.) On November 5th, 1941, Gail P Lusher was born to George & Hazel O’Shaughnessy in Vancouver BC. She was the eldest of 6 children. Gail passed away on November 16th in Seattle due to an unfortunate infection that was unable to be cured. The O’Shaughnessy clan moved down to Queen Anne Hill in 1956. Gail graduated from Queen Anne High School in 1959 and then went on to college where she graduated as a Nurse. Gail worked as a nurse at Harborview Hospital and then at Bayview Manor to be closer to her family. Later on, Gail became one of the first Hospice nurses in the Northwest. As her children started to grow, she volunteered as the School nurse at John Hay & McClure and did the same when her Grandson JB attended John Hay. Gail was an avid bowler and met her husband Jerry Lusher of 54 years at Queen Anne Bowling alley. Gail had three children, Teri (Bob) Wheeler, Farrell (Tina) Lusher, Jason Lusher & one foster daughter Mariah Quish. Gail had seven grandchildren Fran, Ras, John, Raphael, JB, Mia & Quinn and one great grandson, Blake. Gail was one of the most compassionate people, you would have ever met. She had the biggest and warmest heart around and would do anything to help others in need. Gail rarely missed an opportunity to bring family and friends together. Her Thanksgiving dinners would draw 30 – 40 people every year and it would not be uncommon for me to go to someone I did not recognize and ask who they were. They would say something like they were new to Seattle and met my Mom at the store and she invited them over. Gail loved the holidays, for Halloween, she wanted to make sure it was worth it for kids to climb our stairs so she would hand out XL size candy bars. She would get over 100 kids and in the last couple of years, she started getting 2nd generation of kids whose parents remember getting the giant size candy bars or who remember her as the school nurse. For Christmas, she loved to decorate the entire house and one year, NASA contacted her for seeing her lights from space. Being mostly Irish, we would also have a St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Many of our friends would love to come over to experience it. Gail also on several occasions would host students from Japan during the summer. Her home was always open to anyone in need. Gail is survived by her Husband Jerry, sister Kathy and brother Del, her children Teri, Farrell, Jason & Mariah, her grandchildren Fran, Ras, Raphael, Mia & Quinn & great grandson Blake. Gail is preceded in death by both her parents George & Hazel, Brother Kevin O’Shaughnessy (King County Deputy) & Alan, Sister Wendy and Grandson’s John & JB. Although with her passing brings great sadness to all that knew her, the memory of her and her actions brings a smile with her memories.

Richard Arthur Stoddard. Richard retired as a Commander for Renton PD. Richard Arthur Stoddard, 76, passed away at his home on December 11, 2020 from COPD.  He was under Hospice of the Valley care since June, 2020. Rick was born December 17, 1943 at Maynard Hospital, Seattle, WA. He graduated from Elma High School, Elma, WA in 1961. He was employed at Seattle Rendering Works, driving truck among various other duties until March 16, 1969 when he began his employment with the Renton Police Department for 28 years. Of his many duties, he was the SWAT sniper for ten years and was an undercover narcotics agent for nine years. He retired as Commander of the Investigation Division in July, 1996.On September 20^th 1980, he met his future wife (Patricia Peterson) on a blind date. They married on June 26, 1982 and made their home in WA: Renton for 14 years, Maple Valley for 9 years and Chehalis for 17 years. They were snowbirds but became permanent residents in Sun City West, AZ in July, 2020. They traveled extensively in their RV throughout the United States after their retirement and recently enjoyed several cruises together. Rick was a member of the Renton Eagles, an active member of the St. Joseph’s Church in Chehalis, WA and the Catholic Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Sun City West, AZ. He was continually complimented for his lector readings during Mass because of his deep voice. He was told many times he should have been a radio announcer. He went and loved elk hunting for 51 years and packing with horses and mules into the wilderness in Washington, Idaho, and Montana. He also loved fishing, especially steelhead. His favorite sport was golfing five days a week with his friends, and sometimes with his wife!! 😊 Rick is survived by his beloved wife Pat, children Rick E. Stoddard (Angela) from Marysville, WA, daughter Barbara Stoddard from San Antonio, TX and 2 stepsons, Gregg (Maria) Peterson from Federal Way, WA and Doug (Charla) Peterson from Woodburn, OR, along with 13 grandchildren and one great-grandson.