2025 Last Ring Notifications
George Dean Walden #2128, previous SPD Patrol Officer was hired on June 26, 1961, and graduated from Academy Class #47. After serving for six years, George resigned on February 6, 1967, to become a Commercial Airline Pilot. George passed away on May 27, 2025, at 87 years of age.
George’s obit is posted as follows: https://neptunesociety.com/obituaries/spokane-wa/george-walden-12395299
George Dean Walden passed away peacefully after a brief stay at Ferry County Memorial Hospital in Republic, Washington on May 27, 2025, with his family at his side. He was 87 years old. A long-time resident of Republic, born in Republic March 11,1938 to Edward and Gretchen Walden. George graduated from Republic High School and worked part time during school at Knob Hill Mines, and he operated the movie projector at the Republic Theater. After graduation he moved to Seattle and worked for two years at Boeing. He then decided to attend the Law Enforcement Academy and served as a Patrol Officer for the Seattle Police Department for six years. Following that, he decided he wanted to go to Flight Training School in Seattle and became a commercial pilot and flew for Western Airlines, which later became Delta Airlines where he retired after 25 years.
George and Aida Aquino were together 35 years and were married in Maui where they owned a condo and spent their winters in retirement away from the snow and keeping warm by the ocean breezes off their lanai.
George lived his life sharing what he loved most. He loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter who never missed a season for deer, moose, elk and bear. He was well known and respected at his hunting camp up near Swan Lake where he spent a month each year and met many lifetime friends. He always loved sharing hunting stories. He had an impressive display of numerous animal mounts in his home office. He also looked forward to his annual boating and camping trips on Lake Roosevelt for a month. Life on Curlew Lake in Republic provided an endless source of pleasure and recreation. He passed on his love of the water to his daughters and enjoyed water skiing and fishing with his “leaded line” with his daughters. You would often see George and Aida out morning and night on Curlew Lake fishing and coming back with a bucketful. Those loves aside though, his real love was his Corvettes. He and Aida were Life Time members of the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Annually they took a road trip to the Corvette factory to pick up their pre-ordered new Corvette. They were also members of the Seattle, Spokane, Yakima and Maui Corvette Clubs and were well known for the numerous trips with their many friends to “show and shine” gatherings.
George was preceded in death by his wonderful parents and sister, Patricia Gendron. He is survived by his wife Aida Aquino Walden, Republic; his daughters Kim (Karl) Jones, Calhan, Colorado and Michelle Hanson, Moses Lake, Washington; and his grandsons, Ian Swearingen and Hunter Gildersleeve. George loved visiting with everyone. There are so many facets to George they can’t all be captured here. But we do know he was loved and respected by so many people and will be missed so very much. Thank you to all his friends who he enjoyed immensely.
Paul Knapp #2160, retired Seattle police major, passed away on Sunday, February 23, 2025, at 86 years of age. Paul was hired on October 2, 1961, and retired after 27 years of service on December 30, 1988.
Paul Henry Knapp was born in Seattle on July 08, 1938, to Joseph Henry Knapp and Marie Elizabeth (Francis) Knapp. He was the fourth child to be born into the family. Four more were born and Paul ended up being 1 of 8 kids - Jimmy, Frank, Rosemary, Paul, Harry, John, and twins Eileen and Kathleen.
Paul wanted to enlist in the Marine Corps, and eventually served in The Corps for 4-years at different locations stateside and in the Pacific. He extended his service for a year (5-years total) to obtain an assignment as a Marine Guard at the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon, Burma where he was promoted to a Sergeant. Paul was very proud of his Marine Corps service.
Paul had long-wanted to be a Seattle cop. However, when he was discharged from The Corps, he discovered that he had not yet reached the minimum age for entry into the Police Academy. He was about a year short. So he drove a bus in Seattle for about that period of time, both to earn a wage and to study/learn more about the Seattle streets - believing that this knowledge would be beneficial to him in the future. After completing the Police Academy, Paul became a part of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and retired after a 28 year career. Paul enjoyed his police work and was very dedicated to it.
After his retirement from the SPD, Paul enjoyed home gardening, extensive research on family genealogy work and traveling to many places in Europe - including a trip to Norway where his wife, Sandra, met her cousins for the first time. Paul also worked with his brother John in the income tax business and eventually started his own tax office. Despite Paul's busy schedule, he and Sandra always made time to use their season tickets for Sounder soccer games.
Paul, at age 86, passed away in Seattle, on Sunday February 23, 2025. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sandra, daughter Melissa and grandchildren Ellie, Chase, Eva and Aiden. Along with his parents, Paul is preceded in death by his son Christopher, brother Jimmy, his sisters Rosemary and Eileen. Also surviving Paul are his brothers Frank, Harry and John and his sister Kathleen.
Paul will be greatly missed by his family and friends
SEMPER FI PAUL
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.