Obituaries

Troy Marlin Wigestrand

Obituary

Troy Marlin Wigestrand 02/16/1963 – 01/27/2025

Troy fought the good fight against Appendix Cancer for the past year. On Monday, January 27th, he passed from his wife’s loving arms into the arms of Jesus. He is now pain and cancer free, singing praises to God in the angelic choir and we are sure he is laughing and having a wonderful conversation with his beloved Savior. We left on earth are heartbroken to lose our hero but we know that we will be reunited again one day.

Troy Wigestrand was born Feb 16th, 1965 in Grand Forks, ND to Glen and Marlis Wigestrand of Buxton, ND.  He was the youngest of six siblings – Vicki, Terry, Tim, Todd and Penny. One of his earliest memories was being bundled up like an Eskimo to go out into the huge snowbanks in Buxton, ND.  When he was 3, the family moved to Fullerton, CA.  During his school days, some of his fondest memories were of the special innovative class he had for 3rd and 4th grade, acting in plays throughout all grades, winning a “Tarzan” yell contest at age 13, the start of his love for traveling and exploring, working as a Tin Soldier for the Disney Christmas Parade, taking German in High School and doing a summer student exchange to Cologne, Germany.

After high school, Troy was the first of his family to attend college.  He earned his AA degree and then at age 22, decided to follow his passion for travel and bought a one-way ticket to Madrid, Spain to join a two-month Club Europa tour to visit just about every country in Western Europe and to begin what would become a passion for him in doing family research and meeting relatives. After the tour, Troy spent another year and a half working, exploring and adventuring from a fish factory in the northern most part of Norway, working and skiing in the Swiss Alps all the way down to the pyramids of Cairo.  Since his diagnosis of cancer last year, he began the telling of his many adventures in a book he titled “Through the Cornfield and Around the World” which his family will work to complete on his behalf. When he returned to California, he completed his bachelors degree.

Throughout his life, Troy sensed a call from God to a personal relationship.  Beginning with an encounter with an angel at the age of 5 where he was told “Because of your heart”, two near death experiences at a young age, accepting Jesus at age 13, God’s guiding and protecting hand over him during his travels abroad, personal encounters with hearing God’s instructions in Washington DC, following God’s directions to go teach English in Korea and leading worship at the International Church in Seoul, Korea, Troy’s priority was to put Jesus first in his life and to actively listen for His direction. While in Korea, he met the love of his life, Kim.  Together they spent the next 4 years serving God and encouraging the people they met along the way to know Jesus.

Returning to Washington in 1995, they established a life in Bellevue and Renton. Troy worked for 20 years at Microsoft and various other companies in the area, including some time working for Christa Ministries and for Spirit 105.3. He served and ministered at Bellevue Neighborhood Church and at New Life Church for many years. He also served on the Renton Park Board for more than 20 years and in his most recent years, followed his passion for acting and was able to be an extra in several TV shows and a feature film. He loved and protected his family fiercely and felt like his greatest achievement was to raise three wonderful children, Katherine, Johnathan and Christopher.

This man of God, son, brother, husband, father, friend will be sorely missed. He touched so many lives and made us all better for knowing and loving him. He was truly one of the good ones and we are certain that Jesus greeted him on Monday with “welcome home good and faithful servant!”  A Celebration of Life Service will be held on his birthday, Sunday, February 16th at 4 PM at New Life Church in Renton, WA. A light dinner and reception will follow.  All are welcome to come reminisce, share stories and celebrate a life well lived.