Michael Postle, a detective, inspector and administrator with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, was blessed with a razor-sharp mind and a knack for paying close attention to the smallest of details at crime scenes, friends and colleagues said.
During his 32 years on the force, Postle headed one of the metro area's first multijurisdictional narcotics squads, oversaw security efforts to protect several high-ranking dignitaries who visited the Twin Cities, spurred efforts to get new facilities, directed the crime lab and handled many special investigations, retired Hennepin County Sheriff Don Omodt said.
"He was a hardworking, intelligent, bright guy with the ability to get along with people," said Omodt, who was sheriff from 1967 to 1994. "He was a great investigator with a fantastic memory for details. He was a friend and employee I was delighted to have."
Postle, 66, had dropped off materials Aug. 6 at the Hennepin County Recycling Center and Transfer Station in Maple Grove and was headed home when he suffered a heart attack while driving near the intersection of Jefferson Highway and 85th Avenue N.
Efforts to revive him failed, said his wife of 41 years, Patricia, of Plymouth.
Postle started as a deputy in 1966 and quickly rose through the ranks. He was selected to head the Metro Area Narcotics Squad in the 1970s because of his deft administrative skills, Omodt said. The squad, made up of officers from eight jurisdictions, was one of the first of its kind in the nation. Postle led efforts for a new headquarters for the Hennepin County Water Patrol in Minnetonka, instituted evidence control procedures and DNA programs in the crime lab and "was a good administrator who made sure things were done by the book," said former co-worker and friend David Hile. He also coordinated security efforts when figures such as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Vice President Hubert Humphrey and the king of Norway came calling. Above all, Postle brought his jovial upbeat personality to work and always had a concern for people, those who knew him said.
"Postle was one of the best bosses I ever had," said Lisa Sartwell, who worked with Postle in the internal affairs unit. "He taught me what it means to be a part of a police family. Never a day went by that he wasn't joking around and making us laugh, even in stressful situations."
Postle graduated from Robbinsdale High School and from the FBI's National Academy in Quantico, Va. He served in the Army for three years, his wife said.
"He loved the police force," she said. "He liked problem-solving and he liked helping people."
Postle enjoyed the arts, and after retiring 12 years ago, he took up cooking.
"He started watching cooking shows on TV. He would take the recipes and make them his own. He was such a good cook," Patricia Postle said.
He also enjoyed growing tomatoes, zucchini and peppers, and spending time with his family. On the day he died, Postle was with his son Roman of Prior Lake, laughing, telling stories and clearing away trees at the family cabin and preparing to build a new one.
"They just had the best day," she said.
In addition to his wife and son Roman, Postle is survived by another son, Michael, of Minneapolis; a sister, Roma, of Gaithersburg, Md.; two brothers, Jim of St. Cloud and Dale of Oregon; and two grandchildren.
Services have been held.
