Vernon C. Spence

SPENCE,Vernon C. Vernon C. Spence, a teacher, counselor and administrator in the Sonoma County schools for 49 years, died Tuesday at his Santa Rosa home. Spence, who had struggled with cancer for a dozen years, would have been 80 next month. He was born in Sacramento, the son of Bethel Templeton Spence and Harry Spence, and grew up in the Northern California mountain town of Weed, and Chico State where he earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in science. He moved to Santa Rosa in the mid-50s. He is survived by his wife, Carolina L. Spence; his son, Steven Jorgensen (Jeri Toso), Santa Rosa; and daughters Linda (Brian) Jorgensen Bailey, Rohnert Park; Carma Spence, Southern California, and Toni (John) Baker, Santa Rosa; his brothers Patrick (Inga) Spence, Texas; Donald (Mary) Spence, Redding, and sister Susan Spence, Santa Rosa; his nephews, Michael (Michelle) Spence, Redding, and Jeffrey (Erin) Spence, Georgia; a grand son, great granddaughter and numerous grandnieces and grand nephews. Vern taught at Gravenstein Elementary School, Herbert Slater and Cook Junior High Schools and Piner High School with a two year break to teach African history in Nairobi, Kenya. He retired as Director of Bilingual Education for the Santa Rosa School District in 1997 and spent 10 years on the Education Department faculty at Dominican University. Blessed with a love of music and learning, he exercised his fine singing voice regularly with both the Redwood Chordsmen and the Barbershop Harmony Society. He was a member of SIRS (Sons in Retirement) and a volunteer for Easter Seals, the Volunteer Center, March of Dimes, Shriners' Hospital and other organizations serving children. A scholar and a vociferous reader, he was a "regular" at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 50 years and loved nothing more than a long talk about history and/or trivia. He was speaking Swahili with his Fijian caregivers and asking questions about Pacific Island history in the last days before he died. His impressive Christmas collection of Nutcrackers from all over the world was a source of great pride. A loyal friend, he kept a lifelong relationship with his fraternity brothers from Chico and with his former students, a group that included community leaders like former City Attorney-turned-teacher Brian Ferrell, the Grattan family - Patrick, James, Daniel and Mary, Coach Henry (Hank) Stiefel, Howard Daulton, Mike Downey, Larry Kropp and Rocky McDermott. Many of his students remember him driving his green MGB and smoking those long, black Tipparillo cigars. Vern was fond of keeping his military service a secret and was often heard responding to questioning about it with the retort, "If I told you, I would have to kill you." A celebration of Vern's life -- with music, harmony and stories -- will take place Saturday February 5th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Legends, Bennett Valley Golf Course, Santa Rosa. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Vern Spence Educational Fund that is being established in his memory to further the education goals of high school graduates. Donations should be sent to the Vern Spence Educational Fund, c/o Exchange Bank, Attn: Madelyn DuMelle, 2416 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95405.