Spending her entire 20-year career as a King County Sheriff’s Deputy out of Precinct
#3, Julie Loofbourow made a number of friends while on the beat that she will miss
seeing now that she has officially retired from the King County Sheriff’s Office
(KCSO).
As early as 2000, Loofbourow’s body was showing symptoms that something was not
quite functioning as it should, but it was not until 2008 that she was hit big time
with an auto-immune disease that left her in constant and at times unbearable pain.
Although the Sheriff’s Department worked with her through the difficult times, she
could tell she was at a point of questioning whether she was being affective. Having
used up all her vacation time as well as sick leave along with taking into account
the difficulty of handcuffing people and gripping anything, Loofbourow came to the
realization a few months ago, in late July, that it was time to step aside.
Prior to working with KCSO, Loofbourow began her public service work at the age
of 17 interning at Madigan Hospital in emergency. In 1976, following high school
graduation, she became the first female firefighter/EMT as a volunteer for Pierce
County. Government grants were found in order to pay her in part. She also dabbled
in hair design for 3-4 years before going to work for the Port of Seattle where
she was very busy at SeaTac in a communications job doing security monitoring in
a room on the 4th floor of the parking garage.
While the Port of Seattle job kept her very busy, Loofbourow was still feeling the
pull she had since high school to do public service in the police line of work.
“If you have a desire to do something,” Loofbourow encourages, “do it!”
So at 33 years old, she joined the King County Sheriff’s Office in June 1991. She
was assigned to the Hicks - Raburn Precinct (Precinct 3) in Maple Valley when she
graduated from the Criminal Justice Training Academy.
Loofbourow worked her entire 20 year career “on the street” where she felt she would
have the most impact with the citizens she served. She has thoroughly enjoyed her
20-year interaction and meeting with the community. Her service area out of Precinct
#3 took in Maple Valley, Covington, Black Diamond, Selleck, Hobart, Ravensdale,
the surrounding unincorporated area, and yes – even as far away as Greenwater.
Because she was so service oriented during her career with KCSO, she would park
her car out in the open, making her more accessible to the people (she lovingly
called her “peeps”) she served. And as a community “caretaker,” she had her share
of big guys and face-offs with real life threatening moments.
While working, Loofbourow could only take medications that would not interfere with
her job, but now that she has retired (as of August 31) and finally been diagnosed
with the autoimmune disease Mastocytosis, she can begin to take medications that
will help her to heal. Along with the medications, she is very careful with what
she eats. One of her favorite foods is freshly caught salmon.
Having grown up on a farm in Pierce County, she can once again go back to enjoying
the great outdoors – this time in the Cumberland area where she resides. Not only
has she been enjoying fishing the rivers for her salmon dinner, but she occasionally
takes a hike as well.
An accomplished artist, Loofbourow has been featured at Covington City Hall on two
occasions in the past. When not hiking or fishing for her favorite dinner or relaxing,
she hopes to once again pick up her paints and paint brushes in order to bring to
life on canvas her two favorite subjects – animals and the outdoors.
“It has been an honor to serve the citizens of South East King County for 20 years,”
said Loofbourow. “I have many wonderful experiences from so many citizens, which
includes those of you whom I have seen more frequently than I ever thought possible,
and you guys know who you are!”
Pictured: King County Sheriff’s Office 20-year veteran, Deputy Julie “Jules” Loofbourow,
loved serving the people in her district before retiring on August 31.
