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<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge) John R. "Dick" Thornberry   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, May 17, 2009 Dick Thornberry was Officer Friendly to school kids By Julie Muhlstein Herald Writer Dick Thornberry was Officer Friendly, in title and in fact. In 28 years with the Everett Police Department, he loved helping people through duties as a school relations officer and a crime prevention officer. "He was very community-minded," said Marysville Police Lt. Darin Rasmussen, who is Thornberry's stepson. "The jobs he had all fit into what he really cared about -- helping people live better lives." Rasmussen said that Thornberry was especially proud that in his whole career, he never went through a complete ticket book. John R. "Dick" Thornberry died April 29 after battling pancreatic cancer for more than five years. He was 63. Sue Thornberry, his widow, said that wherever the couple went, even in Denmark, her husband saw people he knew. Some remembered him as Officer Friendly. "He loved that job," she said. Born in Everett on Oct. 15, 1945, Thornberry was preceded in death by his parents, John P. and Ida Thornberry, and grandson Ryan Kubin. He is survived by his wife, Sue; his twin sister Dian Brown; daughters Moni Kubin, Alani Alexander and Dori Thornberry-Moser; stepchildren Darin Rasmussen and Vicki Griffin; and grandchildren Alex, Andrea, Chris, Jillian, Ryan, Drew, Shawn, Tia and Katie. Another grandson is about to join the family. Alani Alexander plans to give her son, due this month, her father's name. "We grew up in the police department," Alexander said. "Our dad was pretty strict, we couldn't get away with anything. That's not a bad thing." Her fondest memories are of summer trips to a place her father's family had at Cave Lake, Idaho, near Coeur d'Alene. Although her parents were divorced, Alexander said her dad always spent time with his children. "Every moment he could be with us, he was with us," she said. "He was very into family time," said youngest daughter Dori Thornberry-Moser. "Every weekend, it was motorcycle riding or skiing or just going on family drives." Even during her father's cancer struggle, Thornberry-Moser said he stayed active, playing golf and showing a keen interest in his grandchildren's sports. Dick Thornberry graduated in 1963 as a member of the first class at Cascade High School. Before becoming a police officer, he served in the Navy and worked for the Great Northern Railway. He earned a bachelor's degree from Central Washington University. He retired in 1995 after 28 years with the Everett Police Department. "Dick was very people oriented," said Len Amundson, a retired Everett police captain. "He had scads of friends." Amundson said his friend had three great passions: golf, softball and family. "Family was the big one," he said. Together, Amundson and Thornberry played softball on Everett Parks and Recreation teams. "We did that probably 15 years," Amundson said. Thornberry had a knack for working with schoolchildren, Amundson said. "He'd go in and just teach kids safety issues, stranger-danger and crossings streets. Dick related to them well. It was good for kids to not be afraid of police," he said. Amundson said that while Thornberry's most public face was as Officer Friendly, "the police face he had was crime prevention." Thornberry was a recognized expert in crime prevention, said Jerry Aaron, a retired deputy chief of the Everett Police Department. Last year, Aaron traveled with Thornberry to Arizona and California. "We played a lot of golf and visited a lot of friends. We've done a little of everything over the years: elk hunting in the Cle Elum and Roslyn area, a little motorcycle riding and a lot of golf," Aaron said. After retirement, Sue and Dick Thornberry moved to the Roslyn area. Ski trips took them to Canada and to Austria. Dick Thornberry loved country music, George Jones in particular, and he and Sue went to Nashville to see the Grand Ole Opry. He never lost his love of golf. "He was captain of the golf team at Cascade," said twin sister Dian Brown. As a kid, she remembers her brother climbing a fence at the Everett Golf and Country Club to play the 17th and 18th holes. Darin Rasmussen, whose father Don Rasmussen also was an Everett police officer, said it was tough having another authority figure after his mother remarried. "We came full circle," Rasmussen said. "When I was promoted to lieutenant, I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have pin on the badge for me." He said Thornberry canceled a trip to be there for the ceremony. "Dick was instrumental in shaping how I approached my job," said Rasmussen. When he graduated from the police academy, Rasmussen said Thornberry gave him a card that said "Be fair to everyone." At the time, Rasmussen said he assumed being fair was obvious. "But in practice, it's really important to remember that. Police wield a lot of authority," he said. "He was a giant." "Dick got along with just about everyone, and just about everyone was his friend," Aaron said. Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460, muhlstein@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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