Roger R. Barnhart

Roger has missed his last overhead as he passed away on Monday, January 26, 2015. Now his tennis opponents or partner won’t have to worry about his soft-spin-serve anymore. Roger was born on December 5, 1934 to Roy and Adelaide Barnhart in Rock Lake ND. Roy and Adelaide moved Jerry, Marian and Roger to East Wenatchee to get away from the family farm. Roy soon became a carpenter and Adelaide worked in the fruit. The whole family was proud of Dad as “built the Grand Coulee Dam.” In 1945 they moved to Wenatchee where Dad built houses and the family moved in then moved to the next house when theirs was sold. In 1952 Roger finally made the Panther’s varsity basketball team. He was the only Panther to have been “cut” twice and ended up playing and making a letter. He improved enough to play two years of basketball at Wenatchee Junior College. He also started his tennis career and helped the Knights win their Washington State Championship. This led to the #1 singles position on the Western Washington College varsity tennis team his senior year. He also letter on the varsity basketball team. Chosen as one of the top six bowlers he traveled with the team to the U of Oregon for the Pacific Coast Conference College bowling championships. Roger graduated from WWC in 1956 and Adelaide brought his Army induction papers to the graduation ceremony. After two years in the Army where he didn’t enjoy a 13-day trip from Monterey Bay through the Panama Canal to Germany during peacetime he returned home to take a teaching position in Cashmere. He married Jean Anne Little in 1958 and they had three sons, Phil, Mike and Chris. In 1961 Roy built Roger and Jean’s home in Cashmere and this time they never had to move again. Much of the family life centered on the three boys’ basketball games and tennis matches. Until in 1972 Roger received his Master’s in Guidance and Counseling from Eastern Washington College. At this time Jean and Roger bought their first boat and summers were spent boating at Lake Chelan, Crescent Bar and the San Juan Islands. With being a full-time coach, science teacher and parent finally led to the ending of another outside interest. He retired from refereeing High School and Junior College football after 20 years in 1980. The CHS tennis program became a success and after three years five senior boys went on to earn varsity letters at colleges and Universities around the PNW. These were the first five of twenty-four Cashmere tennis players making letters at four-year colleges during the 28 years of coaching. In 1985 Roger was chosen PNW Tennis Coach of the Year. He received a special award as one of six National Tennis Coaches of the Year in a ceremony at Denver, Colorado. Roger retired next year in 1986. Jean and Roger then bought their second boat, a 49-ft. Cruise-a home and spent a lot of time cruising the San Juan Island. He was called the “Crab King” because of the number of crab caught in season. Now Roger took up tennis playing seriously playing on age group USTA League teams from the WRAC. Then starting in 2003 with him being team captain and playing with a bunch of old retired tennis coaches and friends from WRAC 6 PNW League championships were won. Each of these Sectional Championships led to the Nationals played in California and Arizona. The local team finished third twice and fourth another time. Roger is survived by his wife, Jean; sons, Phil (Jill) of Portland, OR, Mike (Nancy) of Wenatchee and Chris (Lisa) of Scottsdale, AZ; seven grandchildren, Justin, Jeff, Katelyn, Nicole, Hudson, Katie and Mason; three great grandchildren, Tabor, Natalie and Henry; two sisters, Marian Stillman of Wenatchee and Linda (Dick) Merriman of Wenatchee. No funeral is planned. But Roger would like his tennis playing friends to remember when they miss that easy one at the net to think how Roger have enjoyed it. Please express your thoughts and memories on the online guest book at jonesjonesbetts.com. Arrangements are by Jones & Jones-Betts Funeral Home.

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Roger R. Barnhart

December 5, 1934 - January 26, 2015