Roberta Ellen Calvin Spencer

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On the roadmap of a life well lived, Roberta, better known as Bobbee to those who knew and loved her, left behind a long and richly paved path.

She was born to Clyde and Ellen Calvin and grew up with wonderful memories of the Calvin homestead on the Cowlitz River near Toledo, Wash., along with her siblings, Jeannette (deceased), Elsie (Tucson, AZ) and Clyde (Portland, OR). She was a member of the Toledo Presbyterian Church until moving to Chehalis.

Bobbee married Howard Spencer in 1951. They moved to the dairy farm on the Newaukum River near Chehalis in 1956, which became the family home. She inherited a love of the land and gardening from her parents and grandparents. Flowers and plants surrounded their home. A large and productive vegetable garden was planted and harvested every year.

Bobbee was a devout Christian and a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Chehalis where she served many years as a deacon. She had a passion for helping others and spent her entire life doing so. She helped care for her parents when they grew older, and many, many others in the community as well.

Bobbee earned her bachelor of arts degree and teaching certificate from the University of Washington. She was a substitute teacher in numerous schools around Lewis county, taught high school in Ilwaco and later taught at R.E. Bennett in Chehalis. She served as a secretary in Olympia for Bill Fuller, State Representative from 1976 to 1978.

Bobbee was a devoted and loving mother and grandmother to three children, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She often referred to them as “treasures” and loved having them at the farm to “build memories.”

As a lifelong learner, Bobbee appreciated nature to its fullest through her compelling curiosity and knowledge of the natural world. Her interest in the world around her added to her already considerable intellect, knowledge and abilities. She also loved meeting people and her verve for conversation and getting to know people was heartfelt and genuine.

Bobbee passed away peacefully in her daughter’s home in Vancouver, Wash. She will be dearly missed by all who truly knew her.

Roberta Ellen Calvin Spencer was preceded in death by her husband, Howard Spencer.

She is survived by her three children Angie (Centralia), Tracy (Chehalis) and Melanie (Vancouver); grandchildren, Celeste, Jessika, Tristan, Eli, Kaleb, Travis, Bradley and Ashley; and great-grandchildren, Linnea, Rian, Brooklynn, Sawyer, Luna, Alifier, Shantal, and Diego.