William A. Spalding II

William A. "Bill" Spalding II, 93, passed away peacefully Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010, at his home. A resident of Arroyo Grande for 22 years and a member of the Central Coast Baptist Church, Bill was born in Azusa, Calif., in January 1917 on an orange ranch. As a teenager, he began tinkering with cars and was a major innovator at the very beginning of Hot Rodding before World War II. His list of accomplishments were numerous, including a 1938 dry lake record of 120 MPH in a Model T Roadster. He built one of the first ever streamliners and was inducted into the Dry Lakes Hall of Fame. During the War, he served in the U.S. Navy and following its end, returned to manufacturing speed equipment. He later joined Ford Motor Company and retired after a wide ranged 20-year career that involved jet engines to heavy duty trucks. After his move to Arroyo Grande in 1988, he married Diane Dunn and became an avid archer and competed all over the Western United States. Bill is survived by his wife, Diane; sons Shawn and David; daughters Deborah (Bob), Cathy, Toni, Caren (Petar) and Linda; 13 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. At Bill''s request, no service will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Central Coast Baptist Church, P.O. Box 338, Grover Beach CA 93433, or Hospice Partners of the Central Coast, 277 South St., Ste. R, San Luis Obispo CA 93401. Marshall-Spoo 489-5552 Grover Beach