Roy Pfenniger

After living a full 81 amazing years, Roy Phillip Pfenniger passed away on August 3, 2024 at St. John’s Hospital surrounded by his loving family. He was born to Ernest and Juanita Pfenniger in Ohio, on April 6, 1943. He was raised in Chardon, Ohio with his sister Marie, before his father decided to move the family to Salem, Oregon, where he worked as a brick and stone mason. He and his sister attended Salem schools.

After graduating, Roy followed in his father’s footsteps and became a union mason. He married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Starck, and had two children, April and Shane. Through this union, Roy gained two brothers-in-law the late Mike Starck and Paul Starck and two sisters Penny and Becky Starck. They enjoyed spending time together, hunting, camping, fishing, and having gatherings. The marriage dissolved but he remained connected to the Starck family through his children.

In 1974, Roy married Judie Bensley who had been widowed and had a daughter named Trenda. They were married for 20 years and built a blended family in Tenino, Washington. His profession allowed Judie to stay home to raise the kids and later she became his partner in the two businesses they started, Sandstone Construction, and Roy’s Taxidermy. While Roy and Judie’s marriage dissolved in 1994, they remained friends and business partners. Rather than the family falling apart it expanded and grew closer as each of them married wonderful partners and the four became close friends.

On December 6, 1999 Roy married Carol Redick, whom he also went to school with in Salem, Oregon and had known most of his life. They resided in Rochester, Washington for eight years while he built houses. The two lived in a one room log cabin Roy crafted himself with the trees on the property he developed until they decided to move to Skamokawa, Washington in 2004 to be closer to both his and Carol’s families.

Roy loved to hunt and fish. Some called him a fish whisperer. He would drift the Satsop and Chehalis Rivers with his close friends and family and fish on the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer with his children and grandchildren. One year he caught 77 steelhead.

Roy gave of his time and talents selflessly and enjoyed teaching others his many trades. He was enormously talented and crafty and taught his kids and grandchildren many of his skills. He was an excellent gardener, taxidermist, welder, blacksmith, wood worker, and mason. His grandkids loved spending time with him and would often come home with handmade items like knives, a limit of fish, hats sewn from beaver pelts, wooden treasure chests, or polished and cut rocks. It was always an adventure! He liked to pass down family traditions like making sauerkraut, pressing apples with a hand-crafted apple press, and making wine with the grapes he grew. He was always smiling, laughing, and joking around. He had a nickname for everyone and established special and unique bonds with each of his friends and family members.

Roy is survived by his wife Carol, daughter April (Kevin) Donahue, son Shane (Holly) Pfenniger, and his grandchildren Sarah Faas, Michelle Roberts, Bill Overton, Colton Pfenniger, and Josh Pfenniger. He is also survived by his stepchildren Ron Crawford, William Crawford, DeAnna Reeves and 15 step grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister (who passed away just days prior to his own passing), and his stepdaughter Trenda Moyer and her two children Melissa and DJ Moyer.

No services are planned at this time. The family would like to thank the doctors and nurses at St. John’s PeaceHealth and to the many friends and family who have reached out to provide the family their condolences. He will forever live fondly in our hearts and memories.