William Franklin Rothleutner, Jr.

October 24, 1948 – December 24, 2022

Will passed into glory late on Christmas Eve…what a gift to Dad and to all of us that he is through with the pain of cancer and has gone full circle…home at last!

Will was born October 24th, 1948, to Bill and Marie Rothleutner in Royal, Nebraska.  He was the middle child in a family of 8 siblings…5 boys and 3 girls.  In 1959 he moved with his family to the small farming community of Payette, Idaho. He finished grade school in Payette and graduated from Payette High School in 1968.  As the Vietnam conflict was in full swing, he joined the Marines and spent close to a year in Vietnam.  He was honorably discharged in the late summer of 1970.  Will married Marci Maria Selover August 14th, 1971.  Within weeks they moved to Albany, Oregon where he attended Linn-Benton Community College. He worked at Oremet as a tank welder and furnace operator for close to 30 years and retired in 2007.  Before he was hired at Oremet he worked for Jim Dickson in Shedd, Oregon using his welding skills to fabricate harrows.  Being a hard worker, he continued to work there as a second job for many years afterward.

Will and Marci were able to fly to see their children and grandchildren many times a year especially after his retirement. He spent most of his time with projects both on those visits and around the Tangent community and beyond.  He was a welding fabricator and built many trailers, wood stoves, and anything friends or family needed.  He also came along side Marci to tend their yard and garden.  He built many of the building projects in the yard himself, wood or metal. Will was always busy with a project.  His happy place was his shop, which he built many years before he retired.

Will delighted in increasing his Christmas light display each year.  This year we were able to complete lighting up the sky with a little help from the neighbors.  The Tangent fire fighters finished his maple tree in the front yard just as he would have done it for all the community to enjoy.

Will and Marci were blessed with two children, Kristoffer (Laurie) and Katina (Joel).  They enjoy 4 granddaughters Grace, Josie, Zoey, and Lucy.  Watching each one as they have matured was his joy.  Papa will be missed!

We are planning a celebration of his life this summer at his home in Tangent.  We are thankful for the tender care Will experienced from Evergreen Hospice beginning the last of May and continuing through the summer, fall and winter.  He was busy up to his last days on earth making sure everything was completed for his departure. AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home is handling arrangements ( https://www.aasum-dufour.com/ ).