Rodney James Balsley

Rodney James (Rod) Balsley, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, passed away at home on June 1, 2025, after a battle with lung cancer. In the final months of his life, he was surrounded by the love of his family and visited by many lifelong friends.

Rod was born on May 28, 1943, to Bill and Irene Balsley. As a young child, he was raised on Decatur Island in the San Juan Islands, where his parents owned a resort that catered to the boating community. The Balsley family eventually moved to Anacortes, where Rod graduated from Anacortes High School in 1961.

He attended Washington State University, majoring in mathematics and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1965. Rod absolutely loved Cougar football and enjoyed attending games with his wife, Leslie. He remained a proud Coug throughout his life, always greeting fellow WSU alumni with an enthusiastic “Go Cougs!”

After graduation, Rod began his career at Paccar in the Seattle area, first working in programming and eventually rising through the management ranks in the company’s data processing center. His fascination with computer technology continued, and in 1987 he joined Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), where he served as a mainframe expert and a sales resource in the emerging server business. When DEC was acquired by Compaq, and later by HP, Rod remained through the transitions and held various leadership roles. He concluded his career at the EMC Corporation in system engineering management, retiring in the early 2000s.

After "failing" at retirement, Rod embarked on a new adventure: Winemaking. In 2005, he and his wife Leslie founded William Church Winery in Woodinville, Washington. At the time, the Woodinville wine community was not widely known in the Seattle area. Rod quickly took on a leadership role in the Woodinville Wine Country Association, where he hired the group’s first executive director to help grow visibility and attract visitors. A true entrepreneur at heart, Rod built the business from the ground up, mentoring others as they entered the industry. Over 13 years, he and Leslie produced numerous award-winning wines, recognized not only throughout the Northwest but nationally as well.

Outside of work, Rod was an avid sportsman and always up for adventure. He was a longtime ski instructor at Webbski Ski School at Ski Acres on Snoqualmie Pass, and he also enjoyed long-distance biking, fly fishing, kayaking, and tennis.

Family meant everything to Rod. He married Leslie Lind in 1993, and the two recently celebrated 31 years of marriage. Last fall, they marked their anniversary with an extraordinary trip to Italy.

Rod adored and was devoted to each of his five children. He raised three sons—PJ, Jeff, and Bryan—with his former wife, Diana, and later welcomed another son, Christopher, and a daughter, Laura, with Leslie.

An animal lover, Rod especially enjoyed spoiling his dogs, especially Brooklyn along with the many family cats that always found a place on his lap. He was also well known for his cooking skills. Every holiday he was busy in the kitchen making roasts, turkey, and pies. With guests, he always had a delicious menu planned and often experimented with new interesting dishes.

In retirement, Rod was constantly exploring something new—whether watching YouTube tutorials, tending to his garden, or traveling with Leslie to visit friends, family, and new corners of the country.

Rod is survived by his wife, Leslie; his five children: PJ (Jennifer) of Sacramento, CA; Jeff (Carla) of Sammamish, WA; Bryan (Sara) of Duvall, WA; Chris of Coeur d’Alene, ID; and Laura of Sacramento, CA; and his grandchildren: PJ, Fiona, Maximus, Gideon, and Genevieve. He also leaves behind his sister, Peggy (Ed); sister-in-laws, Virginia and Katherine, brother-in-law, Jordan and nieces Carrie, Amy, and Leanna. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Bill.

Rod often expressed his deep gratitude for the good life he led. He will be remembered as a good man, a devoted father and friend, known for his friendly nature, kindness, and a dry sense of humor—always delivered in just the right moment.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cougar Athletic Fund at Washington State University, https://cougarathleticfund.com or the Companion Animal Center in Idaho, https://www.companionanimalcenter.org