Mike Humphreys obituary from the Herring Groseclose funeral home website. herringgroseclose/mobile/obituaries-details.cfm?o_id=2459032&fh_id=12673&forcelayout=mobile#obituaries. James Mike Michael Humphreys April 15, 1951 - March 17, 2014 James Michael (Mike) Humphreys passed away suddenly on March 17, 2014, while visiting his sister in Las Vegas.Mike was born in Colfax, Wash., on April 15, 1951, to James F. and Mary K. Humphreys. Mike was raised in Palouse, Wash., and graduated from Palouse High School in 1969. He was actively involved in sports from Little League to high school baseball, football and basketball. He was also a member of the school band, where he played the trombone. He was the youngest of five children and the only boy; hence he had more than his fair share of BOSSES! He and his sisters all loved playing cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, and neighborhood baseball (in those days kids didn’t have video games, computers, etc. – they went outside and played). He loved to go deer and pheasant hunting with his dad and Midge, the family German short hair. Even though he was the youngest, he was a pretty darn good shot – even better than his sisters, except Jane! Whenever he could, he got in a little fishing.After graduating from Palouse High School, Mike worked for local farmers and businesses before moving to Spokane to attend the Spokane Community College, where he studied accounting. During this time, he married Kathy McPherson. To this union, daughter, Holly, whom he loved so much, was born in 1970. He joined the Spokane Police Department as a reserve officer in 1973. In 1976, he joined the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office and graduated from the Spokane Police Academy in 1977. He served a number of positions within the department and was particularly proud of his work as a polygraph examiner. Mike graduated from the FBI Academy in 1989.Mike married his wife, Stacy, on Oct. 11, 1990, in Las Vegas. They had an adventurous life traveling, with many trips to the Oregon Coast and Florida and recently went on a visit throughout Europe.In 1997, he was appointed sheriff to replace Bill Jackson when he retired. Mike was elected to three consecutive terms and retired from the office in 2010.From 2011 to present, Mike was a regional account representative for Consolidated Telecom, Inc. (CTEL) of Irving, Texas, which involved his traveling throughout the Pacific Northwest. This allowed Mike to keep in touch with many of his friends and colleagues he had made during his 35 years in law enforcement.Mike was very active in the local community. In earlier years, he coached Pony League baseball, youth soccer and could often be found refereeing local basketballMike retained his interest in the Palouse community. He made a special trip to check out the new Palouse Community Center, where he and his family contributed to its progress. His friends in Palouse kept him apprised of all the latest developments in the community. Mike was a lifetime director of the Walla Walla Wagon Wheelers, a member of the Walla Walla County Fair Board and was active in Rotary and the Elks.Mike was especially fond of hunting and fishing and really enjoyed trips to Alaska for salmon fishing. Mike was an avid sports follower throughout his life, both local and college. He attended many tournaments including the West Coast Conference tournaments for many years, as well as several NCAA Final Four Tournaments. He loved his Gonzaga “ZAGS”!Survivors include wife, Stacy Humphreys of Walla Walla; daughter, Holly Poquette and husband, Pete, of Spokane; his grandsons, DJ and Justin Poquette, whom he so loved and enjoyed; sisters, Jacqueline Foster of Mountlake Terrace, Wash., Jean Lewallen of Spokane, Jane Gagg of Las Vegas, and Julia Raymond and husband, Bruce, of Fruitport, Mich.; in-laws, Jill and Brad Ansorge and Meade Neal of Walla Walla; and several nieces and nephews; and many friends and acquaintances. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jim and Mary Humphreys; numerous aunts and uncles, including his Uncle Mike Humphreys, who was the Whitman County sheriff for many years and Mike’s inspiration to commence a career in law enforcement; his grandparents, Fred and Emily Humphreys and Burbon and Zelia Wells; and sister-in law, Heidi Neal. Viewing & visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM at the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder, Walla Walla, WA. Services will be held at the Blue Mountain Community Church, 928 Sturm Ave. on March 26, 2014, at 10:30 a.m. with Rev. Ron Alexander officiating. A reception to follow at the Elks Lodge. A private interment will be held later at the Bethel Cemetery in Steptoe, Wash. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the YMCA youth scholarship program and DeSales High School through the Herring-Groseclose Funeral Home.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 13:51:10 +0000
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