Tim was born May 31, 1949 in Kenton County to Clyde and Virginia (Lawson) Spurlock. He attended Norwood High School where he was class Secretary then President, a member of Alpha Sigma Kappa, played football, sang in the choir and glee club, participated in Drama and as a Projectionist, and graduated in 1967.
During high school, he worked the Young Man’s Christian Association (YMCA) as a Counsellor.
Immediately after high school, On July 23 1967, he joined the Cincinnati Police Division as a Police Cadet. For the next five decades, regardless of his assignment or position, he would excel at its primary mission, whether it be patrol, vice, drugs, auto theft, federal crime, or fraud. Cadet Spurlock was assigned to Central Station, Crime Bureau, Personnel Section (all in City Hall), and District 4 (7017 Vine Street) while attending the University of Cincinnati for an associate degree in Police Science. On September 13, 1970, he was promoted to Police Recruit and finished first in the Division’s 54th Police Recruit Class. On January 3, 1971, he was promoted to Patrolman, issued Badge 717, and assigned to District 7 (813 Beecher Street). Forty days later he investigated and arrested a suspect in an armed robbery for which he received his first of many Chief’s Commendations.
On March 3, 1974, he was transferred to District 1 (310 Lincoln Park Drive). During 1975, he received a commendation from Hamilton County Clerk of Court Robert Jennings for one activity, then another from Municipal Court Judge Joseph Luebbers for two other separate incidents. On July 13, 1977 he and partner Darrell Fisher, known by the street people as “Starsky and Hutch” were spotlighted in a half-page Cincinnati Post article. During 1978 Newport Police Chief Ed Gugel commended him. On September 29, 1979, he and Officer John Burke found and arrested a man shortly after a bank robbery where a bomb was claimed to be in the bank. During 1981 he received a letter of appreciation from Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Delores Hildebrand, another from Safety Director Brett McGinnis, and another from Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor James Applegate. He was promoted to Police Specialist on November 8, 1981 and issued badge PS-132. On May 11, 1982, working undercover, he arrested a man who was attempting to hire him to murder the man’s wife. During 1982, he was commended by the Warden of the Illinois Department of Corrections, then again by its director.
He transferred to the Criminal Investigation Section (222 East Central Parkway) on April 17, 1983 and was assigned to the Auto Squad. On June 26, 1987, he convicted six men in federal court for operating a “Professional Career Criminal Enterprise” in the widespread thefts of over 200 high-end cars, and he received a commendation from Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director William Webster. He was nominated for an award at the annual Police Appreciation Dinner in 1988. During 1989, he received a commendation from the next FBI Director, William Sessions. He was nominated again for a Police Appreciation Award in 1991 and selected.
Six years later, on November 5, 1989, he transferred to the Narcotics Section, where he worked with the Regional Enforcement of Narcotics Unit (RENU). On July 28, 1991, he transferred back to District 1. Seven months later, he transferred to the Intelligence Section from which he was detailed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Task Force. Chief Snowden commended him in 1995 for the arrests solving over 100 burglary offenses. In 1996, FBI Special Agent in Charge Theodore Jackson commended him.
Specialist Spurlock retired January 3, 1998, exactly 27 years after his appointment to Patrolman, with a total of 30½ years of service. During his long and stellar career, Specialist Spurlock received 46 letters of appreciation and/or commendation, including those above and about a dozen from Cincinnati Police Chiefs and commanders.
During 2000, Specialist Spurlock joined 5th/3rd Bank Corporate Security Team, retiring again in January 2023 as Vice President Senior Investigator. Were it not for his excelling in every aspect of law enforcement, he might be best known as the funniest man many had ever met. His peers tried to capture on paper a full list of Spurlockisms. They failed.
Specialist Spurlock was diagnosed with cancer. By mid-July he was riddled with the disease and went into hospice care. He died, surrounded by his wife and children, on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at the age of 74.
He is preceded in death his brother Tom Spurlock; sister-in-law, Agnes (Roberts) Spurlock; and brother-in-law, Don Rickett. Specialist Spurlock is survived by his wife of 29 years, retired Cincinnati Police Officer Sue Ann (Rickett) Spurlock; children, Andrew (Tabitha) Spurlock, Michael Schuerman, Nicholas (Heather) Schuerman, Kathryn (Jake) Abrams, and Kevin (Emily) Spurlock; grandchildren, Liam, Rush, Clyde and Emmy; mother-in-law, Joan Rickett; and siblings-in-law, Linda Rickett, Diane (John) Roebel, Kevin (Jamie) Rickett, Gary (Melony) Rickett, Lynn (Dan) Mohl, and Karen (Dave) Litzinger.
Visitation will be held 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 3, 2023 at Radel Funeral Home at 650 Neeb Road. FOP Services will be held at 7:45 p.m. Funeral Services will be at 11 a.m. on Friday, August 4, 2023 at the funeral home.
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