Arthur T. Varco

Pierce County Sheriff's Department — Tacoma, WA

Accident

End of Watch November 23, 1941

Age 45

The Vigil Panel 78 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 10

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Arthur Varco and Deputy Sheriff Lawrence Bunce were killed when their patrol car collided with a Tacoma Police Department patrol car occupied by Officer Paul Trent and Officer Martin Joyce The crash occurred at the intersection of 11th Avenue and Pacific Avenue. The deputies were responding to an accident while the officers were responding to an unrelated attempted suicide. Officer Joyce succumbed to his injuries two days later. The other three officers were killed instantly.

Survivors

Deputy Varco was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-WA-E0695A14
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Arthur. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Varco served with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Tacoma community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Varco.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Pierce County Sheriff's Department

Location Tacoma, WA

Platform Identity pcso.pierce.wa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 23, 1941

Age 45

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Deputy Sheriff Arthur T. Varco is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In WA, 111 of 339 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.7% of this state's fallen. That is 1.7 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Pierce County Sheriff's Department, 3 of 11 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27.3% of this agency's fallen.

Pierce County Sheriff's Department

of 11 officers

27.3% Accident

WA — Statewide

111

of 339 officers

32.7% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident