Harley Duane Rouleau

(Age 92)

Husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and brother-in-law, Harley Rouleau passed away peacefully at his home on Memorial Day (May 30) 2016. He was born January 14, 1924, in St. Paul, MN, to Agnes Rouleau. He spent his first 16 years in Loretta, WI, and in 1940 moved with his mother and stepfather, Bede Knowles, to Harvard, ID. Harley graduated from Bovill High School in 1942 and joined the US Army in 1943.

Harley spent two years in New Guinea assigned to small ship repair. After the war, he went back to Bovill and worked for Potlatch Forest Ind. He met his wife of over 66 years, June O’Keefe, at a dance in Troy, ID. They were married October 8, 1949, and in January 1961, moved their family to the Spokane Valley. Harley worked as a diesel mechanic for various industries, retiring early from Williams Equipment after a work-related accident in 1973. Harley was proud of his time served in WWII and traveled to Washington DC in 2012 with his grandson Scott Surby as part of the Honor Flight program.

He was extremely proud of his family and was always anxious to share family successes with others. Harley loved sports and was a loyal Mariners fan. Harley enjoyed fishing, camping, bowling, playing cards, dancing, polka music, and trips to the casino. He also loved to tell stories, particularly about the old days in Bovill with his many lifelong friends.

Harley is survived by his wife, June, at the home; daughters Susan Surby, Paula (Scott) Rabey, Nancy (David) Holmes, and Denise Rouleau (Mike Brown). Eight grandchildren, Scott (Jill) Surby, Heather (Rob) Queen, Matt (Sean) Butterworth, Nikki Rabey, Angie (Josh) Neumiller, Dan (Becki) Holmes, Tim Hammond, and Haley Brown, and ten great-grandchildren (Madison and Hannah Queen, Alex Surby, Jackson and Declan Butterworth, Haley, Heidi and John Neumiller, and Isaac and Lucy Holmes) also survive him.

A remembrance of Harley’s life will be held on Friday, June 17, at 2:00 p.m. Please come to share your stories and memories at Thornhill Valley, 1400 S. Pines Rd. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Harley’s honor to Inland NW Honor Flight (608 W 2nd, Suite 309, Spokane 99201), or GSC Meals on Wheels (P O Box 14278, Spokane 99214).

The family would like to thank Jeanie and Paul May, Dick Payne, Rockwood Home Health and Horizon Hospice for the special attention given Harley in the past few months.