August 29, 1969 – August 17, 2024
Rod was born in Seattle, WA on August 29, 1969 and he spent his childhood on San Juan Island. A 1988 graduate of Friday Harbor High School, Rod joined the United States Marine Corps as a Combat Engineer. Rod’s military service afforded him the opportunity to travel the world and was proud to have twice earned the rare designations of Emerald Shellback for having crossed the Equator at the prime meridian.
Rod served his country with distinction. He was a veteran of Desert Shield Desert Storm in the first Gulf War, where he was meritoriously promoted to Corporal; and in Operation Eastern Exit and Restore Hope in Somalia, where he received the Navy Achievement Medal. He was twice awarded Marine of the Quarter when not deployed on foreign shores. Recognizing the importance of education, Rod enrolled in Western Washington University upon his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps in 1994, He earned his Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Engineering Geology in 2000 and began his lifelong career in the insurance industry shortly thereafter.
In 2018, two momentous events occurred for Rod; he completed his Master’s of Business Administration at Western Washington University and his romance began with the love of his life, Taryn Redfern (nee Maloy), whom he married in 2020. Rod and Taryn enjoyed many adventures together and did not take the good fortune of their love for granted. Rod was an amazing dad to four daughters and he brought a special kind of energy to each of the girls with his punchy humor and perennially insightful guidance.
What people most remember Rod for is his sense of humor, which was at times barbed, but always underpinned by love and a desire to be of service to others. Rod died a sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous and he was less than a month from celebrating 35 years of sobriety at the time of his passing. He was the “sunlight of the spirit” to those who knew him and his playful manner made him all the more approachable to those who were new in sobriety and struggling. Though he would never have claimed it himself, Rod was known to have helped countless people find their footing in sobriety.
Rod is survived by his wife, Taryn Redfern, daughters Brooke Redfern, Audrey Redfern, Mattisyn Maloy (Mary Fletcher), and Eve’lyn Kelley, as well as his mother, Elizabeth M. Scott. He is predeceased by his father, Stewart P. Redfern, and grandparents Donald Redfern, Mary Eggan, and William and Margaret Scott.
Rod’s Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 11:30am at Squalicum Boathouse, 2600 N. Harbor Loop Dr. Bellingham. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either Whatcom County Support Officers or the USO.
