Mary Ellen Garcia

Mary was born in Magalia, California, on October 11, 1938, to Hilario and Josephine Garcia. She was the 7th child in a family of five girls and three boys. She grew up in Chico, California, where she attended Notre Dame and Chico High. She read voraciously, teaching herself before she started 1st grade. She enjoyed sports, played softball and engaged in gymnastics. She was a water baby and spent many happy hours at the various swimming holes around Chico. Mary and the rest of her siblings worked long hours during the summer in the prune and almond orchards handing over their paychecks to their parents to help pay for their house.

She married Gary Spencer in 1955 (divorced 1972), and they had Steve in 1956 and Alice in 1958. They also moved to Milwaukie, Oregon that same year, and it became Mary’s new hometown. In 1961, they had their third child, Patti, and while all her children were deeply loved, it was Patti who was Mary’s pride and joy.

In 1962, they moved to Kelvin Street in Milwaukie where there were dozens of children and where Mary quickly earned the moniker as the cool mom.

While Milwaukie was her new home, Mary returned to Chico every year like, as she said, the swallows to Capistrano. It was always a wild reunion with her parents, sisters, nephews and nieces.

In the later 60s, Mary went to work sewing at Pendleton Woolen Mills and then Biltwell Furniture. In 1973, she was hired by Freightliner Truck Manufacturing, and she worked there tirelessly until her retirement in 1999 at the age of 60. She developed lifelong friendships, had incredible adventures, made memories, and contributed greatly during her 26 years.

She owned several houses over the next decades until she moved to Waymire Street where she finally found her true home. The large yard kept her busy with her glorious flowers and garden, and the pool met all her mermaid needs.

Eventually, she had to sell her beloved house and start a new adventure at The Springs Retirement Community where she found new friends to laugh with. She passed peacefully on August 5, 2022. All her children and grandchildren were there as she wrote the final chapter in her life.