Roland Gustav Torngren, Sr. (Swede), passed away peacefully on Friday, November 5, 2021, surrounded by love and prayers. He is predeceased by Patricia, his cherished wife of 59 years. He is survived by 5 children: Roland Jr. (Susan), Rita Ann (Mike), IngMarie (David), Carl (Pam), and Kristina (Jason), and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Roland, the youngest of 3 boys, was born July 4, 1925 in Goteborg, Sweden to Adolf and Anna Torngren. His childhood in Sweden was filled with adventure and he never tired of sharing stories of his boyhood memories, from the teamster who allowed him to ride in his wagon and feed lump sugar to the teamster's horse as a young child, to spending one whole summer helping his dad build a log cabin using only hand tools.

While still a teenager, Roland realized his dream of becoming a sailor. He first sailed on a small privately owned schooner and later sailed as a merchant marine on large ocean-going vessels to parts all over the world. Among his many adventures as a sailor, there are two that he never tired of telling: one was when he took part in the rescue of an American pilot whose plane was shot down during the war years, and the other was when the large ship he was on was hit by a rogue wave, spilling a number of the crew into the ocean.

After a few years sailing, Roland immigrated to the United States. He first settled in California, where he got a job framing houses during the housing boom. He later came to Washington State at the invitation of his friend, where he continued in the home building industry eventually starting his own company. He built a reputation as a quality homebuilder and word-of-mouth grew his business. His customers spoke highly of him, with all agreeing that Roland's work ethic, integrity, workmanship and attention to detail are second to none.

Roland was a devoted family man, a good neighbor, and a faithful friend. He never tired of giving of his time and his talents, whether it was helping a neighbor with a remodeling project, leading the boy scouts on 50-mile hikes or welcoming exchange students and other foreign visitors into his home (Fray and Yutaka). Even after his retirement, Roland could be found working on a project here or lending a helping hand there. Roland spent the last few months of his life at Willow Grove Assisted Living. It was a challenging transition for him, yet due to the caring and dedicated staff, he began to settle in. Roland was fond of saying that once his legs could no longer hold him up, well, that was the end. And that is how it went.

Services for Roland Torngren will be in the Chapel at Holy Cross Cemetery on Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 1:00pm. Inurnment will follow immediately. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Augustine Catholic Church or to a charity of your choice.  Online memorials can be made at www.holycrossofspokane.org