Willis Tucker
| Willis Tucker | |
|---|---|
| 1st Snohomish County Executive | |
|
In office May 1, 1980 – January 1, 1992 |
|
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Bob Drewel |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 13, 1922 Beards Fork, West Virginia |
| Died | June 30, 2000 (aged 77) Snohomish, Washington |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Annette Rhoades Tucker |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | Newspaper editor |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1943–1946 |
| Rank |
 Technical sergeant
|
| Unit | Military Police Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Willis D. Tucker (November 13, 1922 – June 30, 2000) was an American politician and newspaper editor from Washington state. Tucker was the longtime editor of the Western Sun in southern Snohomish County from 1965 to 1980. He was elected as the first Snohomish County Executive in 1980 and served three terms in the office before retiring in 1991.
Tucker was born on November 13, 1922, to a coal mining family in Beards Fork, West Virginia. At the age of 14, he was sent to live with his grandparents in Coulee City, Washington, where he graduated high school. Playing as a quarterback for the Coulee City High School football team, Tucker earned himself a scholarship to attend Gonzaga University shortly after graduating.
Tucker abandoned the Gonzaga scholarship and enlisted in the United States Army in 1943, during the middle of World War II, and was sent to Fort Custer to become a member of the Military Police Corps. He served under former FBI agent Melvin Purvis in Europe, investigating crimes involving American soldiers, before mustering out as technical sergeant. After returning to Coulee City in 1946, he married Annette Rhoades and worked as a concrete pourer on the Grand Coulee Dam before being poisoned by the work, entering the newspaper business instead.
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