Gary Lee Jensen, age 77, passed away in his home in Riverside on August 2, 2016. Gary was born in Spokane, Washington on January 25th 1939. His family moved to the Riverside area in 1952 where he attended Poly High and Riverside City College. He lived in Corona, Lake Arrowhead, and Riverside.
He spent many of his years in law enforcement, starting with Corona PD in 1962, initially as a Reserve Officer, and then sworn in as a Corona Police Officer in 1964. He joined the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1970, shortly after which he was promoted into the Detective Bureau. He worked several details though he was especially proficient in homicide investigations. Gary was then chosen to work within the Crime Specific Unit in a specialized detail investigating Criminal Organized Crime and VICE. While working in CSU he conducted successful investigations of several major well-publicized cases. Later, after returning to the Sheriff’s Patrol and Investigation Unit, Gary became proficient in Handwriting Analysis, a complex and difficult assignment. On January 25th 1992, after 30 years of dedicated service in law enforcement, Gary retired.
While his passion was law enforcement, Gary’s second career had already begun prior to his retirement when he formed his own company, G. L. Jensen Construction. He worked as a General Contractor building many homes in the Inland Empire area, starting with building his first custom home in 1986 for himself and his wife, Trudy. In retirement, Gary continued a strong relationship with family and close friends, and despite declining health his desire for lunch at D’Elia’s Grinders never faded.
For many years Gary and his wife shared a love of travel and visited many countries. Gary was a great man, respected by all whom he encountered, and greatly loved by those closest to him. He helped many people during his life’s journey, and will be remembered as model citizen and someone who always took care of business while doing the right thing.
He is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Trudy Jensen. Two daughters: Angi Morrow and Cynthia Spit, five granddaughters and nine great grandchildren.
A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, August 16, 2016, 3:30 pm at Acheson and Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary, 7944 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92504
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