Rowland Vincent

Obituary Rowland Charles "Vince" Vincent Was born in Mondovi, Wisconsin on December 24, 1922 to Alice and Charles Vincent, and died February 24, 2011 after a long illness. He attended Mondovi public schools and the University of Wisconsin, where he studied law and economics, before enlisting in the U.S. Air Corps in 1942. During World War II he flew 35 missions over Germany as a B-17 bombardier-navigator in the 305th Bombardment Group of the Eighth Air Force. Vince earned the rank of First Lieutenant and received the Air Medal for his service before returning to college in Madison, WI in 1945. In 1950 he moved to Seattle to work for Weyerhaeuser Corporation as an economic analyst. He married Janine "Janie" Eklund of Tacoma in 1955. They were married for 55 years and had six children. In 1964 he was promoted to Corporate Secretary of the Weyerhaeuser Corporation. For an additional ten years he also served as Executive Vice President of the Weyerhaeuser Foundation and was a national leader in the area of corporate philanthropy. Vince had a strong sense of community service and served on many local, state and national boards and committees, including St. Leo's Hospitality Kitchen, the Governor's Juvenile Justice Committee, and the National Merit Scholarship Board. He loved spending time with family and friends, especially at the family beach place on Case Inlet, where he and Janie moved full-time in 1986. He was a former member of the Tacoma Lawn Tennis Club, the Tacoma Club, and St. Leo's Catholic Parish. Vince is survived by Janie, his children Chip (Carla), Maggie (David Roller), John (Lisa), Alice (Randy Lauffer), Elizabeth (Scott Carswell) and David (Alex), and 14 grandchildren. Vince was passionate about his pet dogs, especially his last companion, "Mr. Woofs." He was also a diehard fan of his home football team, the 2011 World Champion Green Bay Packers. He began playing golf at the age of five with his father, and became an accomplished golfer who won many amateur tournaments in Wisconsin and the Northwest. The family wishes to thank the staff of the University of Washington Medical Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, who provided expert medical services and caring support for the last five years. Contributions may be made to St. Leo's Hospitality Kitchen or SCCA. A memorial mass will be held at St. Leo's Catholic Church on Friday, March 4th, 2011 at noon.