Rodney Shearer

SHEARER, Rodney

Rodney Steen Shearer, 60, passed away on December 13, 2010, after a fight with lung cancer. He died peacefully, surrounded by family at his Spokane home.
A Washington native, Rod was born in Seattle on April 20, 1950 to Tom and Marion Shearer. He attended Ingraham High School and the University of Washington. His ease with people, honesty, and strong work ethic made him a natural in business, and he began a successful career in the building materials industry in the early 1970s. Rod used his deep knowledge of the industry to start a small, home-based software firm, Comp-U-Stat, at the dawn of the PC era.
In 1977, Rod was recruited to Redmond's Cadman Gravel, a family-run concrete and aggregate business. He relocated his family to Woodinville, and spent the next twenty-five years helping to build Cadman. He attained the position of Vice President and General Manager, and assisted in the acquisition of Cadman by the German company Heidelberg Cement in 1991. After the acquisition, Rod became the public face of Cadman, working with the public, government, and community groups on business issues. Rod retired to Spokane in 2002.
People remember Rod for his friendliness, his kindness, his generosity and his drive. He was enthusiastic about the world, and had a wide range of interests: travel, photography, motorcycling, skiing, scuba, shooting, food, music, automobiles and technology. Never one to stand on the sidelines, Rod taught ski lessons, was a PADI-certified dive instructor, and a board member of the Inland Northwest Porsche Club.
Since retirement, Rod spent his time helping others. He was a volunteer for the American Cancer Society, Meals on Wheels, and worked as Court-Appointed Special Advocate to speak for abused or neglected children who need legal protection.
Rod is survived by his wife, Jacquie, his brother, Roger, and two children from his first marriage, Gavin and Andrea. He was a wonderful husband, father, and friend. He will be dearly missed.
Rod has requested that his body be cremated and the ashes scattered by close family. A celebration of his life will be held in Spring 2011 for those who knew him. Donations, if desired, should be made to Hospice of Spokane (509-456-0438; hospiceofspokane.org).