Published: 11/16/07 in the Tri-City Herald
Longtime state trooper dies from cancer at 63
Lt. Dave Trunkey, a retired Washington State Patrol officer who led the local office for 11 years, died early
Thursday after a battle with cancer.
He was 63. “He was a wonderful, brilliant man,” said Benton County Sheriff Larry Taylor.
The two not only worked together, but also teamed up once a week as partners on a law enforcement golf
league. “We really enjoyed ourselves, but in the end it was clear we needed to keep our day jobs,” Taylor said.
After the 1999 slaying of trooper Jim Saunders, a good friend of Trunkey’s, Taylor and Pasco Police Chief
Denis Austin lobbied the state Legislature to allow patrol cars to be equipped with video cameras with
audio.
At the time, state law permitted the use of video cameras without a person’s consent, but prohibited
recording a person’s voice without their knowledge. “(Trunkey) helped me significantly with that and we were successful in getting it passed — we went to
Olympia together when Gov. (Gary) Locke signed it into law,” he said.
The last time Taylor saw Trunkey was Oct. 7, when Trunkey and his wife, Glorian, attended the annual
memorial service for Saunders. “He was always there to help others, which was quite evident after the loss of Saunders. He always
remained there for Jim’s family,” Taylor said.
Trunkey retired from the patrol in 2001, after a 31-year career that began in Walla Walla. But he didn't’t quit
working. He initially took a part-time gig as a bailiff in Benton County. “He was always a bright spot in the day and someone everyone could look up to,” said Pat Austin, Benton
County’s superior court administrator.
Austin said Trunkey’s calm demeanor was a positive force in the courtroom. “He was very soft-spoken and always tried to resolve matters in an amicable way,” she said.
And he knew how to lighten up the most tense of situations.
“He’s one of those folks who always had a smile on his face,” said Steve Lowe, Franklin County prosecutor. “When horrible things happen great people rise up and he was a rock for everyone. He really cared about
people and had a great sense of humor. In our line of work, that’s not always easy to find.”
Trunkey spent some of his time during the summers after his retirement operating one of Benton County
Sheriff’s Office patrol boats. “It was nice because I had someone there who had a remarkable amount of experience, not just in law
enforcement, but also in public relations,” said Taylor. “I always knew when Dave was out there, law
enforcement in the community would be at its highest standards. That’s just the way he was.”
Trunkey was a long time Kennewick Kiwanians and served on the board for a while. He was always willing to take on Kiwanis projects especially when they had to do with youth.
At Trunkey’s request, no public service will be held. The family will have a private service. Hillcrest Memorial
Center in Kennewick is in charge of arrangements.
Trooper Lt. Trunkey leaves job well done
By: By the Herald editorial staff
Lt. Dave Trunkey was the face of the Washington State Patrol for Mid-Columbians for 11 years until his
recent retirement.
Trunkey, who commanded 40 troopers in the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla, often was the face people saw
when there was information to give out about accident investigations. To the news reporters and
photographers who reported on the grimmest part of the state patrol's mission, he was professional and
friendly - even when he locked horns with them over news decisions.
It was Trunkey who put a face to the grief felt by the state patrol, and law enforcement officers in general,
when Trooper James Saunders was killed while on duty. Trunkey's measured yet emotional comments
about his slain friend and employee were poignant reminders of the sacrifice law enforcement officers are
willing to make in the line of duty.
"Jim would not want the world to stop with his passing," Trunkey said. "He knows that we have to continue
doing our jobs, the same as he would have."
The 57-year-old trooper did the job for 31 years, admitting that Saunders' death was what got him thinking
of retirement.
Trunkey's replacement, Lt. Steve Sutton, is already on the job. He doesn't expect to make any major
changes.
Sutton would do well to continue Trunkey's style of understated leadership and graceful public relations.
Published: 7/13/01 Section: Page: B1
Trunkey ends duty after 31 years with state patrol
By: Nathan Isaacs -
Herald staff writer
Lt. Dave Trunkey's career in the Washington State Patrol fit him like his pistol fit its holster."When I started
out as a trooper, there were several times I thought there couldn't have been anything more right for me," said the 31-year WSP veteran.
He retired from the patrol and his command of about 40 troopers in the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla about two
weeks ago. Friends, family and co-workers will honor him at a luncheon today at 11:30 a.m. at the Rich land
Red Lion.
His career included 11 years in the Tri-Cities. To better understand the length of his service, Trunkey's first
patrol car cost about $2,200 and his last $24,000. "My job changed, but I never lost the thrill of going out on the road and working traffic," he said.
In fact, one last duty Thursday included signing a ticket issued earlier to a motorist who failed to stop at a
stop sign.
Dressed in shorts and a polo shirt, Trunkey sat in an orange chair in his old office, reflecting on his career
and his future.
He said demands on the patrol now include doing more work with fewer people while also incorporating new
technologies.
When he joined the patrol as a cadet in Walla Walla, there were about 500 troopers statewide. That
number has increased to 800, but trails the growth of both people and cars.
"We have the same mission," he said. "How we do it has changed dramatically. We've had to do things
differently and hopefully smarter."
And while he is retired, he doesn't think he is done working.
He said he never understood why people retire from a job they love, but, "You reach a point when you just
know it's time to go."
For him, the idea of retiring began about two years ago when James Saunders, one of his troopers, was
killed while on duty.
Trunkey said he has known other troopers who have been killed, but "that hit home more than the others.
... Jim and I had formed a strong relationship. "To be honest, it was after his death that I started thinking about retirement. ... The job just wasn't as much
fun."
The 57-year old lives in west Kennewick with his wife. He has two grown sons and one grandson. He enjoys
the Tri-Cities and tentatively plans to remain here but said he could leave for the right job. "The Tri-Cities is the only place I've been in both a blizzard and a dust storm at the same time," he said.
There was a drought in the Mid-Columbia when Trunkey arrived in 1990 and a drought when his
replacement, newly promoted Lt. Steve Sutton, 36, arrived Monday. "Trunkey is kind of a state patrol icon," Sutton said. "He's been here so long, he's become an asset to the
area."
Sutton will spend the next few weeks meeting police chiefs and county sheriffs and other officials he will be
working with. Along the way, he and his wife and three children will have to look for a home. "Everybody is very friendly. ... It seems like a real hometown type of place," Sutton said.
He had known Trunkey briefly when the two worked at the patrol's Bellevue office. Sutton also worked under Trunkey's
brother, who also retired after 31 years with the patrol.
Sutton said he doesn't expect major changes, except for possibly replacing Trunkey's bright orange chairs.
