Judge Harold J. Petrie

DIVISION II, POSITION 3

August 18, 1969–January 14, 1985

Appointed by Governor Evans; Retired

Judge Harold “Pete” Petrie was born in South River, N.J., on October 20, 1917. He graduated from Rutgers University in 1939 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, and entered the Army two years later in 1941.

During World War II, he enlisted as a private and rose to the rank of major by the end of the war. He captured a German general during the Battle of Brittany and commanded a tank destroyer unit in the Battle of Ardennes (the “Bulge”), where he was severely wounded, resulting in the amputation of his right leg. He was awarded a Purple Heart and a Silver Star, and retired from military service in 1946.

Judge Petrie returned stateside to recuperate at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Bethesda Maryland and then attended Georgetown University where he received his juris doctorate. After law school, he moved to Yakima Washington where he worked as a deputy prosecuting attorney. He then started a law firm in Yakima. In 1952, Judge Petrie was elected to the state Legislature and served three terms in the House of Representatives. In 1959 he moved to western Washington to enter full-time public service, first as a member of the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals and later as Director of the Department of Labor and Industries.

In September 1969, Governor Dan Evans appointed Judge Petrie as one of the first empaneled Judges for the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division Two. He retired from his position at Division Two in 1984. After retirement, Judge Petrie continued to work as a judge pro tempore at Division Two. For 10 years following his official retirement, Judge Petrie was the majority author of Non-Oral Argument (NOA) opinions at Division Two. He authored almost 100 opinions some years during his pro tem decade of work for the court. His continued service was a boon to the efficacy of Division Two. In 1990, the Board of Judicial Administration honored Judge Petri as Judge of the Year.

Judge Petrie completely retired from State service in 1995 to care for his wife.

Judge Petrie died in Tacoma on May 26, 1999.