Love story: Young officers Grace and Tim Trudnowski fell in love at Spokane’s police academy

My wife and I met in 1980 while applying for the Spokane Police Reserve program.

If I remember correctly, this program was started prior to Expo ’74 to help increase the number of police officers without actually hiring people.

Grace was one of only two women who qualified for training by, among other qualifications, lifting a 160-pound dead weight dummy up onto a 4-foot-high table.

I knew she was something special.

During our several months of studies at the police academy, we started dating, and our love blossomed. We would secretly meet during classroom breaks down on the dock by the academy on the Spokane River.

We were qualifying at the academy shooting range on the day that Mount St. Helens blew. Someone heard what had happened on the radio, and we were sent home.

Shortly after we graduated from the academy, Tim’s dad had a massive heart attack. That event pulled us even closer together.

We started working the two required shifts a month, always at the same time. We were involved in all types of police work, and it was very exciting at times.

In August 1980, we became engaged, and that started the countdown for May 2, 1981, when we were married.

We became pregnant about a month after our wedding, so a few months later in September, we made a decision to resign from the Police Reserve Force.

We have been happily married for almost 44 years. We have three daughters and six grandchildren. The attached picture from October 1981 was printed in the Spokane Chronicle.