Life Manor Assisted Living

History is Alive and Well at Life Manor

At 95, retired Tacoma Police Department Detective Hardwick Smith is a part of living history at Life Manor. A resident of Tacoma since 1918, he has seen many things change in the Tacoma area. He can recall back to the development of the Port of Tacoma and even remembers seeing the original blueprints. He joined the Tacoma Police Department in 1941 as a patrolman with a beat in the Upper Tacoma neighborhood. His job duties varied, from working patrol to manning the paddy wagon.

Smith has achieved many accomplishments throughout his career, noting proudly, “I was known as the [physically] strongest man on the force.” He worked security detail on one of President John F. Kennedy’s trips to Tacoma. He was also assigned the job of guarding former Washington State Governor Evans. Through his hard work and dedication he was promoted to detective at TPD. Smith achieved the rank of sergeant and trained many police officers that eventually became sergeants and lieutenants themselves. He retired from duty in 1966.

Recently, Smith was approached by the Tacoma Police Department to collaborate on a project focused on the history of the department. He continues to be an active member of the community, often out for lunch or dinner with the people he has worked with over the years. Smith greatly enjoys sharing stories about his time at the Tacoma Police Department and the experiences he had during his time there. 1609 S. Union Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98405
(253) 779-3800

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