This week, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office announced the retirement of longtime Chief Deputy Dave Pearsall at the end of this year.
Pearsall began his career with the sheriff’s office as an Explorer scout in 1982 when he was 18 and later became a reserve deputy with the program.
After working for the city of Yelm’s police department for a year, he became a deputy sheriff in March, 1986.
“It has been an awesome career,” Pearsall said in a statement. “I truly feel blessed to have had the privilege to serve the citizens of Thurston County for so many year.”
Pearsall’s father was a sheriff’s deputy in Grays Harbor and Mason Counties and his two sons now work for the state Department of Corrections and the Aberdeen Police Department.
Pearsall plans to make his final radio transmission to dispatch from his patrol car at 1 p.m. Dec. 31, officially signifying his retirement.
In retirement, Pearsall plans to continue serving the community as a fire commissioner for the Griffin Fire Department and as a co-founding member of the Chaplains Association for Public Safety — Thurston County, according to the sheriff’s office, in addition to staying on the board for the Oregon Washington Lawmen’s Association and the FBI National Academy Associates.
