Ralph Edmund Wells Jr.

Ed Wells passed away peacefully on July 10th, 2020 after spending the week at home surrounded by family. Despite his congestive heart failure, he had a stubborn heart, surviving several heart attacks and a quadruple bypass 30 years prior to his passing.

Ed Wells was born on June 3rd, 1945 in Los Angeles. In 1954, he moved to Spokane, Washington, where he attended Shadle Park High school and met Susan Yount, his future wife. After graduating in 1963, he went to Washington State University and became a loyal Cougar fan. He and Sue married in 1966. Their son, Michael Wells, was born in 1967.

A speeding ticket in 1968 turned into a lifelong career in the Washington State Patrol. When he couldn’t pay the fine, he appealed to the court, where his friendly nature compelled the citing trooper to offer him a job. He graduated from the WSP Academy in 1970 and was assigned to Bellevue, where his primary duties were traffic law enforcement and collision investigation.

On June 3rd, 1969, he welcomed his favorite birthday present, Kimberly Wells, into the family, followed by his youngest child, Jennifer Wells, born in 1974. He was a loving father to his children and a caring older brother to David Wells (16 years his junior), who spent many summers with his family and lived with him for two years.

After attending an Accident Investigation class in 1978, he discovered a passion for using advanced physics and his highly respected skills to reconstruct the scene of a car crash. The following year, he founded and chaired the Washington Association of Technical Accident Investigators (WATAI), the first association for accident investigators in the world, which inspired several others.

He moved to Olympia, Washington in 1982, where he continued his career and found a community in the Westwood Baptist church. He started his own accident reconstructive business (Ed Wells and Associates, Inc.), which provided expert advice to lawyers and insurance companies.

In retirement, Ed and Sue spent winters at Sunflower RV Resort in Arizona where they enjoyed the warm sun and socializing at the tiki bar with good friends.

Ed will be remembered for his charm and love of people, which extended to strangers at the grocery store and in the elevator but especially to his family. He loved his eight grandchildren dearly, and he lived a fulfilling life guided by faith.

Ed is survived by his wife, Susan Wells and brother, David Wells (wife Laura). Ed’s children are Michael Wells (wife Deiglis and children Anna, Belén, Gabriel, and Mateo); Kimberly Titus (husband James and children Megan and Braeden); and Jennifer Garcia (husband Simon and children Katie and Diego). Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Beatrice Wells. He loved and was loved by a large extended family and will be missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him.