PORT ORCHARD-Even in this small community, Valerie Hart never met Washington State Patrol Trooper Tony Radulescu.
The lifelong resident of the city north of Gig Harbor never saw him during one of his visits to schools. She never chatted with him over a cup of coffee. She sure as heck never got a traffic ticket from him.
Still, she felt compelled to attend a memorial service earlier this week for Radulescu, as well as brave the morning cold Thursday as a caravan of law enforcement vehicles snaked through Port Orchard for his procession.
Radulescu, who was was a 16-year veteran of WSP. He lived and worked in Port Orchard.
"Ninety percent of these people didn't know him," the 57-year-old said, motioning to the more than 100 people who paid their respects along the procession route, "but we all support him."
The procession of a few dozen vehicles that left the Kitsap Mall in Silverdale is now meeting up with a few hundred vehicles at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. WSP troopers on bikes were making their way toward Mountain View Funeral Home in Lakewood, where Radulescu's family and his body will join the larger procession.
At 11:15 a.m., the procession will head east on Highway 512 toward the ShoWare Center in Kent, where a memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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