Roald Tangvald, Norwegian Lutheran to the core and American through and through, loved and liked by so many, was called home to glory by his Lord and Savior on Dec. 30, 2020, after a hard-fought battle with liver cancer.
Born Oct. 13, 1936 to Rolf and Rakel (Bjerland) Tangvald in his beloved Kristiansand S. Norway, Roald lived his early childhood under the German occupation of Norway of which he told many fascinating stories, both delightful and grim. At age 11, Roald immigrated with his family to his beloved America, spending his teens in Aberdeen Washington, graduating high school in 1955.
He was on the swimming team and a member of the state championship rifle team. (Crack shot!)
Next, Roald became a proud veteran of the 11th Airborne, serving in Munich, Germany.
Truly passionate and dedicated to education, Roald then worked any job he could find to pay his way (every dime!) through Washington State University — finishing a 5-year course of Agricultural Education in 4 years — where he was on the swimming team and in gymnastics. (He could still do a handstand dive at age 55!)
At WSU at church, Roald met the love of his life, Christine Harder, and after a whirlwind romance, they were married July 2, 1961, and they became a strong family team for 59 1/2 years.
Roald taught junior high math in Cheney and vocational agriculture in Colfax before returning to WSU for Master’s Degrees in both Economics and Ag. Econ.
He began his beloved banking career as an agricultural trust officer with Seattle First National Bank in Seattle and Yakima. He was delighted to be hired by the Farm Credit Bank in Spokane. At the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank, Roald moved from loan officer, to assistant vice president, to vice president, and senior vice president of credit for the Northwest district as he proudly served the farmers and ranchers of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.
He retired as the president of the Western Washington PCA.
Roald volunteered and taught countless classes for many years for SCORE (Senior Core of Retired Executives) helping many young entrepreneurs develop practical and workable business plans. Roald served on the Board of Directors for Lutherhaven for five years, and several years as treasurer of the Agriculture Bureau for the Spokane Chamber of Commerce and always volunteered at the Agriculture Bureau’s children’s booth at the Spokane County Fair. He also loved volunteering as an agricultural consultant with VOCA (Volunteers in Cooperative Assistance ) through the State Department, serving several sessions in Poland helping to develop a new agricultural banking system, and in Ethiopia where he developed an entire curriculum for a new Agricultural University.
Such adventures he had!
But, being a true farmer at heart, his favorite retirement activity was driving the tractor while baling hay for five years at “The Ranch!” near Ritzville with Christine’s brothers, Herman and Carl Harder.
Roald dearly loved: his family (American and Norwegian), friends, fellowship, the stock market, anything economics, horse races, helping others, the Loon Lake cabin, Norwegian meatballs, lutefisk, vanilla ice cream, cold diet Pepsi, Cheetos, a good steak, saving a dime, chopping wood and making a great fire; telling lots and lots of stories (exaggerations allowed) and the 23rd Psalm.
Oh, yes. For 50 years you could find Roald every Sunday sitting at the end of the same pew by the same window in the Sanctuary of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, where he worshiped God and his Savior Jesus Christ with all his heart.
Roald is survived by his loving wife, Christine; children: Rolf Tangvald (DeAnn), Leif Tangvald (Tonya) and Rondi DeBoer (Brian); grandchildren: Kjerste Dingle (Ryan), Kaitlund Johnson (Josh), Thor Tangvald (Laura); Annika, Rakel and Christian Tangvald; Rachael, Emma, Belle and Jada DeBoer; great-granddaughters Whitney and Lydia Dingle; brother Leif Tangvald (Lynn) and brothers-in-law Herman and Carl Harder.
He is preceded in death by his son, Thor, brother Halvar, parents Rolf and Rakel Tangvald; in-laws Harry and Frankie Harder; sister-in-law Nina Harder, and special friend, Joe Dubay.
Thank you, God, for the gift of Roald, a fantastic husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend and servant of others. Oh, Roald! We love and miss you. God’s speed. Wait for us! Wait for us! (Ephesians 2: 8 and 9)
A celebration of Roald’s incredible life will be held at a later date after Covid. Private interment at the Harder ranch cemetery. Danekas Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
