By Kevin Hanson-The Courier-Herald
A long, solemn chain of cars and trucks, many with blue or red lights flashing, made a slow trek from Sacred Heart Catholic Church to Evergreen Memorial Park Friday afternoon.
It was there that Shane Wyrsch - a dedicated husband and father, U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer and former star athlete - was laid to rest.
Wyrsch, an Enumclaw resident, was killed the evening of March 19 in a two-vehicle crash on state Route 410 just west of Buckley. He was off duty when a Tacoma man crossed the center line and smashed into Wyrsch's pickup, according to Washington State Patrol reports.
Both men were taken to Tacoma General Hospital, where Wyrsch, 35, died.
Authorities suspect the Tacoma motorist was intoxicated at the time of the crash. He has previous citations for driving under the influence.
Friday's funeral service left Sacred Heart packed, as family and friends were joined by representatives from law enforcement agencies throughout the region. Especially well represented was the U.S. Forest Service, Wyrsch's employer for the past 16 years.
He was remembered as a family man - he left behind a wife, Zoë, and young sons Marcus and Kye - and a trained professional who was proud of his work.
Wyrsch was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., but relocated to the King County community of North Bend, where he graduated from Mount Si High School in 1989. A standout football player, he took his talents to Central Washington University, where he shined as an inside linebacker. He was named a team captain, led the Wildcats in tackles during his senior season and was named to the Columbia Football Association Mount Rainier all-star first team and to the Little All Northwest first team.
His 151 career solo tackles are also eighth-best all-time, while his 78 assisted tackles are 10th in CWU history for a career. His 105 total tackles as a senior in 1993 are sixth-most for a single season.
He graduated from Central in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in law and justice.
He then attended the Federal Law Enforcement training center in Brunswick, Ga., where he was commissioned as a law enforcement officer with the United States Forest Service. He was stationed in Enumclaw and worked in the Mount Baker/Snoqualmie national Forest.
His work often brought Wyrsch into contact with local law enforcement officers. Among those was Lt. Eric Sortland of the Enumclaw Police Department, who said “we lost a hero” with Wyrsch's passing.
“He was always good about monitoring his radio and would routinely back up officers responding to incidents. That's just the type of guy he was,” Sortland said, recalling Wyrsch's willingness to help a fellow officer. “He was never too busy to lend a hand, whether it was for Enumclaw or the State Patrol.”
Sortland was quick to point out Wyrsch's sense of humor, but also appreciated the professionalism he brought to the job. “He's the type of guy you think of first when you go to battle,” Sortland said. “The type of guy you want with you.”
Kevin Hanson can be reached at khanson@courierherald.com.
