Patricia A. Spence, age 91, passed away on April 5th, 2020 in Portland, Oregon.
She was born just before the Depression and died during the great pandemic.
Patricia was raised as a young girl in Portland, Oregon and later moved with her family to a farm in Clackamas County, Oregon. She graduated from Oregon City High School, class of ’45, as World War II ended. She worked as a car-hop, in the shipyards, as a secretary, and picked berries and hops to put herself through college at the University of Oregon. A member of the Delta Zeta sorority, she graduated in 1949 with a baccalaureate degree in Journalism, the first in her family to attain a college degree. She received her teaching certificate from Lewis & Clark College. She highly valued the importance of an education.
Mrs. Spence taught 3rd grade at Reynolds (Rockwood) Hartley elementary school for 31 years. She served as President of her teacher’s union. She had exquisite penmanship and was a stickler for proper spelling, grammar and punctuation.
She was devoted to her church community at Savage Memorial Presbyterian Church, which she attended for 56 years. Through the years she remained active in civic, political and social endeavors, including travelling the world, taking ballroom dance lessons, golfing, attending the Oregon Symphony and the Portland Opera and playing bridge. Pat was active in Republican women’s groups, attending the Dorchester Conference, but changed parties recently. A breast cancer survivor, she attended survivor events. She was a firm believer in women’s rights and was outspoken about her values.
Most importantly, she was a loving and devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She is survived by her children, Scott Spence (Jayne), of Portland, Oregon, and Anita Jackson (Phil Jackson) of Fair Oaks, California. She adored her grandson’s: Cody Spence, Max Barnes, Robert Barnes and Dylan Spence, (Stephanie Spence) and her two great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Jacqueline Griffith and predeceased by her sister Shirley Huntley.
A service and reception will be held at Savage Memorial Presbyterian, in Portland, Oregon church at a later date, after pandemic concerns subside.
Donations may be made in her honor to:
*Savage Memorial Presbyterian Church *The Oregon Symphony *The Portland Opera
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