April 27, 1938 – Sept. 11, 2025

Arlin John Rothauge, 87, passed away peacefully on September 11th, 2025, in Portland OR.

Born on April 27th, 1938 to Arvid and Mildred Rothauge, Arlin grew up on a ranch in the Cascade foothills near Lorane Valley, OR. Ranching, farming, forestry and logging formed his youth.

Arlin left the ranch to pursue an academic career, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Northwest Christian College and the University of Oregon in 1964. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Theology from the Graduate Seminary of Phillips University in Oklahoma and later a Doctorate of Philosophy in Systematic Theology from the University of Glasgow Scotland. It was during these years that Arlin married his first wife Sigrid and had his two daughters, Renee and Kirstie.

Upon his return from Scotland, Arlin felt drawn to take Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church and was ordained in 1974. He served as Chaplain of Oregon Episcopal Schools and then as Rector in charge of All Saint’s Episcopal Church in Portland OR, while also lecturing in the Liberal Arts faculty at Portland State University. From there Arlin was invited to join the Presiding Bishop at the Episcopal Church National offices in Manhattan where his major work on Congregation Development began, bringing him national recognition within the Episcopal Church and beyond. This work was the springboard from which he established a Doctorate in Congregational Development Program at Seabury Western Seminary, IL. His work there earned him an honorary Doctorate from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University.

In 2000, Arlin and his wife Earlene retired to San Juan Island in Puget Sound where Arlin designed the home they would live in for over 25 years, at the southern tip of the island. On the island, he further explored his lifelong love of the Arts through writing poetry, painting and drawing. During this time Arlin and Earlene, devoted many years volunteering with the Red Cross, using their skills to grow the local chapter, engaging others in volunteer activities and deploying when disaster struck. In 2016, he received the Clara Barton Honor Award for Meritorious Volunteer Leadership from the Red Cross as well as the Spirit of Excellence Award. In 2024 he lost his beloved wife Earlene.

Arlin was very proud to be called Dad, Grandpa and Papa. During retirement he spent many hours creating wonderful hand crafted gifts that sparked the imagination of his grandchildren. Arlin’s artistic talents shone through in the detail infused into these treasures, all made with such devotion. He loved and admired his family: his daughter Renee, husband Matthew and their children Elle and Griffin; his daughter Kirstie and her husband Pierre; stepson Greg, his wife Shona and their son Malachy; stepdaughter Susan and her children Ian and Juliet.

If you would like to remember Arlin, a donation to the Northwest Chapter of the Red Cross would be most appreciated.