Roger ARRE

August 9, 2025

Spokane - They say grief is love with no place to go.

While Roger lived a full life, there was nothing that brought him more joy and meaning than doting on his wife of 47 years, Bert. He cooked the majority of meals, she sent him on errands and he was at her beck and call to do all of the "man things" she needed. He also was happily by her side for the adventures and activities she planned for them. When Bert lost her battle with pancreatic cancer in January 2025, Roger missed her terribly and soon suffered a fall that he was not able to recover from. He passed away at home from natural causes on August 9, 2025.

Roger was born in Oregon and then lived for a while in Colville before settling for good in Spokane when he was in junior high. During this time, he met many friends, some of which would become like family to him and later to his wife and daughters. He graduated from Central Valley High School in 1975.

Shortly after high school he met Roberta "Bert" Smith and the two quickly married and settled in Otis Orchards, where they would raise their two daughters, Jennifer and Jessica. Roger learned the trade of sheet metal work and was a proud "union man." Even after retirement he enjoyed visiting the union hall for the comradery. He ultimately spent 30 years at Carlson's Sheet Metal before retiring in 2019.

He worked hard to maintain a nice home for his wife and girls, always working in the yard and tending to the garden and doing whatever project Bert came up with. Roger enjoyed fishing and tried to engage his daughters in this pastime. While they humored him, they definitely got more enjoyment out of camping and boating with him. Farragut State Park and Loon Lake were favorites in the summer. His girls fondly remember him carving the perfect marshmallow roasting stick and making Dinty Moore Beef Stew over the campfire while telling them his best scary stories.

When Rog's younger daughter graduated from high school and started attending Gonzaga University, Roger and Bert reinvented themselves as empty nesters. They took up two new hobbies and dove in passionately with both. First they became avid GU basketball fans, always trying to get ahold of tickets for the men's games and becoming season ticket holders to the Lady Zags. He was a dutiful photographer while Bert posed for pictures with the players and they enjoyed an annual trip to the WCC tournament in Vegas.

Their second hobby was the realization of a long term dream to buy property at beloved Loon Lake, where they had already been going for years. They bought a boat and Rog enjoyed pulling his grandkids on the tube, but even better was welcoming three grandsons in quick succession that he could teach to fish. He cared meticulously for the property and took great pride in it, but what he loved most was having any combination of his five grandchildren up to visit.

Rog was always willing to lend a helping hand. He found purpose in giving a ride, fixing something or bringing vegetables from his garden. His green thumb and friendly smile will be missed by his friends and daughters.

Roger was preceded in death by his wife of 47 years, Roberta Arre. He is survived by his two daughters, Jennifer (Sam) Schweda and Jessica (Scott) Santos; five grandchildren, Lauren and Olivia Wear, Miles Schweda, and Julian and Harrison Santos. He is also survived by his dear friends of over five decades, Paul Loth and Debbie Novak. No service is currently planned.