Troy Larson, who served with Thurston Sheriff’s Office for 12 years, has died at 52
Deputy Troy Larson, who spent a dozen years with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office before he suffered an on-the-job medical emergency in 2019, has died, according to the Larson family and those close to him. He was 52.
Larson died at a skilled nursing facility in Puyallup a day after he tested positive for COVID-19, his sister Tonya Charland said.
“He was a good man and I hate to see him go,” his brother Toby said Tuesday.
Larson was born in North Dakota and moved west to Thurston County with his family. He attended North Thurston High School and Central Washington University in Ellensburg, and went to work for the heating and cooling business Sunset Air.
But during a ride-along with his brother, Toby, who works for the King County Sheriff’s Office, he discovered his true calling.
Toby recalls that they responded to some interesting calls that day and Troy inquired about how much Toby got paid. “The next thing I know he applies for a job,” Toby said.
“He was a super-great guy and a great deputy who was well-liked and well-respected,” Sheriff John Snaza said this week, adding that as an older deputy, Larson brought a lot of life experience to the job.
“He could be stern but he had a calming voice,” Snaza said.
In March 2019, Larson was on patrol at a vehicle crash scene when he suddenly felt a pain in his neck — later diagnosed as an arterial dissection. He was taken to Capital Medical Center in Olympia, then transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where he suffered multiple strokes and a heart attack and fell into a coma for about 10 days.
He was later transferred to a respiratory hospital and finally the skilled nursing facility, his sister, Tonya, said. He was progressing well with therapy, but it was slowed by the pandemic. He eventually could breathe on his own, but he still required a feeding tube and was paralyzed on his left side, she said.
Before the medical event, Larson was set to marry his fiancee, Julie Pettit, in February 2020. They first started dating in 2015. She shared a message about Troy with The Olympian.
“As my fiance, you have been the love of my life, my compass, my strength, my anchor, my advisor, my protector, my best friend, my favorite person, and most importantly my home. In other words, my everything.”
Toby described Troy as a big-time outdoorsman and hunter. He also played soccer and loved spending time with family, including his three daughters from a previous marriage.
“He was happiest when he was around other people he cared about,” Toby said.
Troy also was always ready to help, whether it was replacing shingles on a roof or fixing a door. His brother Travis recalled that Troy showed up to help him fix something one time with his blind date.
“He was the firstborn, the protector of the other three kids,” his mother, Judy, said.
Troy’s funeral is tentatively set for Jan. 29 in Lacey. Details are still to be determined, Toby said.
This story was originally published January 12, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
