Robert "Bob" John Roetcisoender

Cause of death was aspiration pneumonia, a complication of Parkinson’s disease.

Bob was born on June 13, 1936 in Seattle, WA to Gus and Millie (Arp) Roetcisoender. The oldest of three sons (brothers Gene and Lee predeceased), he grew up on the family farm in Bothell, WA. He graduated from Bothell High School in 1954, then worked his way through 4 years at Washington State University earning a BA in General Sciences. While attending WSU, Bob became a distinguished military graduate of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and received his commission in the Air Force in June 1958. He married the former Nancy Henricksen of Centralia, WA in 1958 and they had three children – Lynn, Lisa & Todd. They were divorced in 1973, and in 1976 he married the former Susan Wiener of Trucksville, PA.

Bob retired from the Air Force in 1988 as a highly decorated Colonel. His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Bronze Star Medal. He was a master navigator with over 3,500 flying hours and 105 combat missions in SR-71s, EC-47s, OV-10s, O-2s, and C-118s. Bob was one of the first navigators to be selected as a reconnaissance systems officer in the SR-71 serving with the 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, CA from September 1966 – March 1970. He served in Vietnam August 1971 – August 1972. He was also a master missileman and wore the master space operations badge. During his Air Force career, he earned an MA in Political Science (Auburn University 1971), and graduated from the Air Command & Staff College (1971), and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (1976). He was the wing commander of the 390th Strategic Missile Wing, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, AZ 1980-81, and from June 1981-June 1984 Bob was the vice commander of the 1st Strategic Aerospace Division, Vandenberg Air Fore Base, CA. In his final assignment he served as the commander and professor of Aerospace Studies AFROTC Detachment 910 at the University of Washington in Seattle 1984-88.

While in the Air Force, Bob earned his private pilot certificate (1964), and flight instructor and commercial certificates (1968). His love of flying evolved into his second career in general aviation with Regal Air at Paine Field Everett, WA. Involved in Regal Air flight operations since 1986 as a flight instructor, he later became Chief Flight Instructor and Chief Pilot (charter), and finally Director of Flight Operations – responsible for supervising all flight training, ground training, and charter programs at Regal Air until he retired in 2020. During that time he was also an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner 1993-2018, administering practical tests for all certificates and ratings (private through ATP and CFI). The FAA presented him with the Wright Brothers “Master Pilot” Award for 50 years of dedicated service in aviation safety.

Bob had a lifelong love of fishing which he enjoyed with his Dad, cousins, children, grandchildren and many friends. He loved to work in the yard and garden. He and Susan owned a condo on Maui for 22 years and enjoyed many trips to the island to spend time with their friends in Lahaina. Bob owned a Cessna 177 for 32 years – flying around the western US and Canada to go fishing, wine tasting and visiting with relatives and friends.

Bob will be remembered as a loving and supportive husband, father, grandfather and uncle. And he will be remembered as a wise and caring mentor to hundreds of men and women in the Air Force and general aviation.

He is survived by Susan, his loving wife of 46 years, his children, Lynn, Lisa and Todd (Yolanda), his grandchildren, Michael, Katherine, Anna, Max, Gus, Ty and Alex, 5 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandson.

A celebration of Bob’s life for family and his many friends will be held on a future date in summer 2023. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in his memory to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Snohomish County Volunteer Search & Rescue, or the America