Hans Edward Rothert was born in Kearney, Nebraska on Nov. 9, 1936 to Ernest Rothert and Grace Schouboe. At age 4 he moved with his parents to Santa Rosa, California where his parents were teachers at the high school and Santa Rosa College.

Hans was commissioned to Annapolis in 1954 but returned to attend junior college in Santa Rosa due to the fact that he was colorblind and not allowed to continue in Annapolis. He later transferred to the University of Colorado where he graduated in civil engineering in 1959.

He then went to work at Caterpillar Tractor Company in Peoria, Illinois, where he worked for 14 years before taking a job with Northern Commercial Inc in Seattle as assistant to the president. In 1977 he started Arrowpaint Construction Co. on Bainbridge Island where he worked for the next 40 years.

Hans was very active in the Bainbridge community, being a member and president at the Bainbridge Rotary Club, president on the board of the Bainbridge Library and a committee member of the Boy Scouts of Bainbridge Island troop. He also donated time to help the expansion of the senior citizens building in downtown Winslow.

Hans is survived by his wife Diana of Stuart Island in the San Juans; his sons, Kris and Hans Arthur of Bainbridge Island, and his daughter Sara of Shanghai, China. He is also survived by three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

A memorial service is planned for early summer on Stuart Island in the San Juans.