Rory Terry Sholl

Rory Terry Sholl was born on February 9, 1984, in Portland, Oregon. He was welcomed home to a vibrant, large family. He brought his fun-loving smile and spirited character into the mix, with his red curls and blue eyes adored by Mom and Grandma Pat. Rory was a happy baby. He laughed so much at that age and embodied a simple joy – a gift he carried throughout his life.

As he grew, he was a burst of energy and loved learning new facts and exploring the world. He was an important part of family activities like camping, hiking, biking, holiday parties, games, and more; times when so many wonderful memories were made.

He was articulate and great at recounting stories and events in a very engaging way. His moral compass guided his life, and he was always ready to offer an opinion or vigorously debate a topic he felt strongly about. But above all things, Rory was a genuinely sweet and caring person who looked for joy in life and was devoted to his family, extended family, and friends.

Rory had an inborn musical gift and a pure-hearted dedication to music. His greatest love and talent in life was his music. In kindergarten, he heard some classical music while walking home with his mom. Deeply moved, he asked her, “Why does water come out of my eyes when I hear that?” Building on his natural passion, Rory began playing the trumpet in 3rd grade. It was not uncommon to find him playing his instrument on the corner of SE Bybee Blvd. and Milwaukee Ave in the Westmoreland area. In high school, he became an expert at playing the sousaphone, a brass instrument most associated with marching bands. He adored John Sousa, the inventor of his preferred instrument. Rory also played tuba and French horn.

One of the great highlights of Rory’s life was his time spent in the Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps in Seattle, Washington, which he joined after passing rigorous auditions. Playing contrabass bugle, Rory traveled and performed complex and impressive field marching with the Corps in 48 states across the USA and Canada, making for unforgettable adventures and memories.

Rory was also an avid gamer and gaming technology enthusiast. He spent a good chunk of his time gaming and players in his community GOATED him (Greatest Of All Time End of Discussion)! Rory built his own specialized gaming PCs from the best available components.

After graduating from Cleveland High School, an accomplishment he was very proud of, Rory began working in the field of security. At the time of his death, he was employed by Metrowatch, Inc. as an Oregon-licensed Private Security Provider. He worked at building sites, businesses, and even movie sets. Rory was devoted to his work and found purpose and pride in his career.

Rory had a gusto for life, was always glad to pay a visit, talk on the phone, exchange emails, and chat at family gatherings. He was a big, friendly guy with a big heart and even bigger ideas. In good times and bad, Rory always found the energy to help and be concerned for others. He probably knew half of the names of the gas station attendants and drive-through cashiers and the tenants in the housing he was security at. Pretty sure they are wondering where he is right now.

He enjoyed spending time with people and conversing on almost any topic. Another talent Rory had was his writing skills, which most of us have received one of his engaging and heartfelt letters and emails. If it happened that others came to his aid, he always expressed thankfulness.

When Rory heard that Grandma Sholl had passed, he was determined to go pay his respects. It was a few weeks before his own death that he gathered with family to honor his Grandma Sholl's recent passing at church and later at her home - he found a real joy in being together with so many relatives, especially his cousins. Visiting was something he had been looking forward to after the covid year and his hospitalizations. There was no thought among us that it would be the last time we saw him.

In his lifetime, Rory faced challenges and overcame most of them, but not all. Being sociable, headstrong, curious, and ingenious, he found his way. Music soothed his spirit, especially Sousa. He had always been motivated to get a job, which he did, holding security positions since high school. When Covid-19 led to the loss of both the independent housing he had and the possibility of other housing, he had to be resourceful. The loneliness of social distancing during the pandemic was the worst for him. When lonely, he reached out to others, entertained himself with gaming, or struck up a conversation. When his health was failing, he got help. He had 4 hospitalizations from 2020 to 2021. He learned a lot about his health. In the last 6 months, he learned he was in dangerously ill health while he was in the hospital. Unfortunately, these health problems contributed to his sudden passing almost two weeks ago.

In his last Facebook post, Rory wrote, "Well, I am back in the hospital waiting to get some wounds taken care of. I hope I can stay a few days." Sadly, as we all know, there was no ER bed available for him when he needed it, and he didn't make it past the waiting room. Rory's faith, though, has taken him to a better place.

Rory is now in heaven with those who have gone on before him, including his beloved brother, Ryan Sinclair Sholl, and grandparents Patricia and Mervyn Manion, and Maurice and Betty Sholl.

Rory is survived by his mother, Anne Manion and Vic Schunk; father, Daniel Sholl; brother, Felix Herrada and Laurel; sister, Camille Sarder and Mahmud; sister, Natasha Pineda and Jose; nieces and nephews: William Herrada and Mary; Natalie Herrada; Eva, Aden, and Adrien Sarder; and Sophia and Cruz Pineda; aunts and uncles: Mike Manion and Sandy; John Manion and John Wan; Rod Manion; Margaret Atchison and Kim; Jeanne Tindall and Scott; and Gwen Sholl and Karin Jackson; cousins: Joe Spanish; Evan Michaels and Kelly; Keith Michaels and Kyunghwa; and Vanessa Michaels; and Mary Fulton and George Fulton; and numerous great-nieces and nephews.