June 9, 1928 – April 30, 2018
Rollo Sligar
Rollo Burnell Sligar was born June 9, 1928, in Hansen, Idaho, the youngest child of Ernest David and Mary Emmazette Sligar’s large family. His childhood included working on the family farm, gathering sagebrush for his mother’s cook-stove, working horses, and hunting. He remained fond of horses for the rest of his life. As a young man he played piano and violin.
He met the love of his life in 1946 when Inez Millie
Rollo and Inez
Rosen was just 15. They were married on September 4, 1947 in Elko, 
Nevada. Although Inez was only 16 and did not have her family’s permission, her father Ted Rosen forgave them and remained a good friend to his son-in-law for the rest of his life.
With marriage, Rollo began a series of many jobs 
including working at a sugar plant and building the Lower Salmon Dam. Daughter Priscilla Ann was born on September 11, 1948 and Christine Inez was born March 28, 1950.
In the winter of 1950/51 Rollo moved the family to Seattle, WA where he had obtained a position as an airplane mechanic at the Boeing 
Co. Daniel Rene’ was born on November 3, 1951, and Loretta June was born August 19, 1953. In 1954 the family moved to their home in Bothell, WA.
Although he was taken out of school after grade 8, Rollo’s high intelligence and mechanical ability allowed him to pursue various jobs including mechanic, bus driver for Seattle Metro, able seaman on a seagoing U.S. Army tug, burner in the Boeing Developmental Center, and finally a member of the Boilermakers union building and repairing ships, cranes, dams, oil refineries, pipelines, a milk dehydrating plant, and nuclear reactors. After retiring in the early 1990s, he applied his skills at the Saddle Mountain Winery maintaining equipment and building catwalks in the building. He enjoyed working and solving problems and could usually fix anything when he set his mind to it.
Rollo was happiest learning new things, liked to read, and remained a lifelong learner. He was tested for a GED later in life and scored very high based upon his general knowledge. He also worked diligently on any task and often held more than one job at a time. His foremost priority was to take care of his family, Inez in particular.
Last year his prostate cancer metastasized and compromised his bones along with the results of some spinal injuries such that he could no longer walk. This forced his admission to long-term care at the Bethany Silver Lake skilled nursing facility in Everett, WA. He was not happy being immobilized in a back brace and being separated from Inez. Still he made friends among the staff and patients and was well-liked. He read several books while he was there, and called Inez frequently on the phone.
She spent the last weekend at his bedside and he passed away Monday, April 30, 2018, when he seemed to be feeling better. He remained alert and fully aware until his last hour.
Rollo is survived by his wife of 70 years, Inez, and children Priscilla, Christine and Daniel as well as many grandchildren and great grandchildren.