Roger Wesley Pettenger, 80, of Pullman Washington

On April 14, 2014 Roger went to Jesus' embrace at Sacred Heart Medical Center due to complications of multiple myeloma and statin toxicity. Roger was born in Long Beach California on December 20, 1933 to Mildred Elizabeth and O. Roger Pettenger. He graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1951 and from the University of Nevada-Reno in 1956. He entered the U.S. Navy as an officer with flight school in Pensacola Florida and served at Barber's Point Hawaii as a squadron navigator flying the Pacific Barrier between Midway Atoll and Adak Alaska.

He married the love of his life Annette Marie Barron on August 23, 1958 in Long Beach. During Roger and Annette's time in Hawaii their first child James was born in 1959. Roger was called to be a minister and attended Pacific Lutheran Theological School in Berkeley California from 1960 to 1963. Their second child Ruth was born in 1960 in Oakland California. In 1963 Roger interned at St Timothy's Lutheran in Albuquerque New Mexico. Roger's first call after his ordination in 1963 was as mission developer of a new congregation, Christ the King Lutheran Church in Durango Colorado. Their third child Mary was born in Durango in 1965. In November 1967 Roger and family were called to serve as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Santa Fe New Mexico. In 1974 Roger accepted the call that became the crowning glory of his career as Lutheran Campus Pastor at Washington State University. His superhero power was compassion. Roger touched thousands of lives through his ministry to students and the community from 1974 to 1998. Being a hip young campus pastor Roger travelled to many church youth gatherings, presenting on issues of the day. He himself was a perpetual student, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (University of Nevada-Reno), Master of Divinity (Pacific Lutheran Theological School), Master of Arts in History (University of New Mexico) and Ph.D. in History (Washington State University).

In 1998 Roger and Annette retired to enjoy honey-do projects on their seven-acre homestead outside Pullman. They relished trips with their Dutch daughters Willemijn and Anja in France and Italy, and Broadway plays in New York with their Persian daughter Mahtab. They traveled with Mary and their embraced daughter Tonja to Prague and Vienna in 2011. Yearly trips were made back to the Hawaiian Islands, a place they loved. The family took up camping and fishing while living in Colorado that continues to this day. Roger was really in his environment with a pole in his hand and a fish on the line.

Roger was predeceased by his parents and his sister Darlene. He has left here on earth his beautiful wife Annette, children James, Ruth (married by Roger to Pat Emerson), Mary (married by Roger to Tonja Willey), grandchildren Bryce and Zachary Elder, Kjel and Camryn Pettenger-Willey, Laura (married by Roger to Jon) Via, Benjamin and Melissa Emerson, great grandchildren Tallulah, Bodhi and Savannah, and nieces Kathie and Paula, and nephew Carl.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that you make a donation to the Prayer Garden Fund at Trinity Lutheran Church in Pullman. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday April 25 ^th at 4:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church.  Cremation has taken place; Kimball Funeral Home is caring for the family.