Oregonian, The (Portland, OR) - Friday, March 24, 2023

March 5, 1934 - March 15, 2023

Roger Wallingford, 89, passed away peacefully March 15, 2023 after a sudden illness.

He was the second oldest of five sons born March 5, 1934 to Tudor K. Wallingford and Margaret (Smith) Follett in Astoria. The family moved to Portland when his father got a job at the Kaiser Shipyards during the war. They moved to Sweet Home, Ore., where he attended Sweet Home High School but left school to serve in the Air Force in 1952.

After returning home to Oregon and a few false starts, he began attending the Northwestern School of Law in 1964 while working as a private investigator and later an insurance adjuster. His first job after graduation in 1968 was working for the legislature rewriting the criminal code of Oregon. He moved back to Portland and became a private practice attorney for more than 40 years.

He married his first wife Marilyn Mathis in 1963 and had two sons, Christopher and Jeremy who joined her two children, Linda Wikander (Oscar) and Philip Meade (Crista). He married Sherry Casper and helped raise her four children. He finally met his life partner, Marleen and they enjoyed more than 30 years together. He was a great stepfather for her children, Kevin Wong (Kris) and Alyssa Woodman (Ken).

Roger was the "go to guy" if anyone in the family needed help. He loved to converse with people from all points of view. He was a news junkie and his favorite daily bad habit was to get his chocolate milkshake.

In retirement he liked traveling to all of the small cities in Oregon, collecting cans for Kiwanis, fishing, hiking, driving long-cuts everywhere and enjoying his grandsons' scouting and sporting events.

Roger enjoyed studying his family genealogy and was proud of his Native American heritage. Through his father's family, his great-great-grandfather was Solomon Smith, one of the earliest pioneers to settle in Oregon Territory (1832). Solomon married Celiast who was the daughter of Chief Coboway of the Clatsop Tribe who had welcomed Lewis & Clark's expedition at Ft. Clatsop. His great-grandfather Silas Smith was Oregon's first Native American attorney and one of the founders of the Oregon Historical Society. Through Roger's mother's family, he was related to the founder of the Mormon Church, Joseph Smith Jr.

Roger was predeceased by his parents; and all of his brothers; and his greatest heartbreak, his son, Jeremy. He is survived by his wife, Marleen; son, Christopher (Jenny); his grandsons, Cortlan and Dylan; and eight step-children.

By his request there will be no service but a family gathering will be planned for the summer. We request donations to be made to the Cedar Hills Kiwanis, P.O. Box 1144 Beaverton, OR 97075.