Ralph Edward Spencer
March 26, 1932 - March 19, 2013
Obituary
Ralph Edward Spencer went to be with the Lord on March 19th 2013 just seven days before his eighty-first birthday. Ralph was born on March 26th 1932 to Delphine and Robert Spencer in Bend, Oregon.
Ralph attended Bend’s Allen Elementary School before his family moved to Gilchrist, Oregon where he graduated from high school with eight classmates in 1950. He attended the University of Oregon for a short while before he enlisted in the Navy. After receiving a medical discharge and recovering from a large tumor operation, he drove a truck for a service station in Gilchrist until he moved to Spokane Washington where he worked in the OK Tire Shop which was owned by a relative of his mother. In 1960, he was hired by Boeing as a riveter in the Renton plant . He held many positions at Boeing, including a short one in Germany supporting the AWACs program. He retired from Boeing in 1991 with 30 years of service.
Ralph married Shirley Mae Barkley on August 5th 1961. They settled originally in the Burien area and later moved to Normandy Park and finally Federal Way. They brought two daughters into this world – Kimberly on New Year’s Eve and Julie whom he assisted in her unplanned home birth. He supported his wife through various broken bones and cancer treatments. He was always there to lend support to those who were sick or hurting.
One of Ralph’s favorite pass times was fishing. It is no surprise that many of the family vacations included time for fishing. One of his favorite stories was when he took the girls out for a morning fishing trip and was unable to put his own line into the water as they kept hooking fish faster than he could net them. When he retired, he and Shirley traveled abroad visiting Australia and Europe. They additionally took many trips in their motor home seeing most of the USA. He cherished his visits with family and friends.
Ralph was an active member of Southminster Presbyterian Church and served several times as a deacon and an elder. He enjoyed the fellowship with the other members of the congregation and was always so happy to see them each Sunday. Ralph was a member of the Southgate Masonic Lodge, #100, in Burien, Washington. He also served as the Associate Guardian for The Job’s Daughters of Burien, Bethel 40. Ralph was known for his willingness to help wherever he could and for his big smile.
Ralph is survived by his wife, Shirley, daughters Kim Gerardi (Don) and Julie Gamble (Troy), sister Ida Mae Evans (Cliff), six grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his brother Willard (Bill) Wallman Spencer and parents Delphine and Robert Spencer. He will be missed by many.
A Memorial Service will be held at Southminster Presbyterian Church on Saturday April 6th at 1 PM. (19834 8th Avenue South Des Moines, WA., 98148) Donations in lieu of flowers are requested to The Alzheimer’s Association.
I love and miss you Uncle Ralph and will always remember our times together. Our many Christmas Eve celebrations and going to Christmas Eve services, You are so very missed and can’t wait to join you in Heaven someday. Please give my Dad a big hug from me. Love You So Much
Your niece
Karen
Dear Shirley, Kim and Julie (and all family and friends), we were so saddened to read of Ralph’s passing. Our hearts and prayers go out to you! May you find some comfort in the happy memories and the time you were given with such a wonderful and caring man. I know we feel honored to have been able to call you our friends. It is always such a hard journey to travel when we lose someone we hold so dear and love so much. Please know that there are many who are here to hold you up and we know God is wrapping you in his arms as well. With much sympathy, love and caring to you!
Love, Cheryl and Ron Churchill
Dear Aunt Shirley, Kim & Julie and your immediate families,
May Uncle Ralph’s “spirit” shine throughout the universe for all to see. May God be with you, as you remember all the “good life” that your husband and father was able to share with you on this place we call Earth.
I love you all so very much and have great sympathy for our loss, as I remember Uncle Ralph’s laughter, when one becomes rather animated during discussions.
God Bless you and may He hold you in the hollow of his hand.
Cindy,
Niece of Ralph and Shirley (sister of my Mother)
Cousin of Kim & Julie and their families
Ralph was a kind man and always good for a laugh. I am glad that my friendship with Christine Rohr lead to the meeting of Ralph and Shirley.He will live in our memories forever. May he rest in peace. My deepest condolences to Shirley and the family.
Dear Shirley, Kim and Julie, Ruth and I want to express our sympathy to you as well as your other family members. We are both honored to have known Ralph and to have had him in our lives. We will truly miss Ralph but we also know that we will all be reunited again in Heaven. May God continue to hold you. Love, Ruth and Charlie
Dear Shirley, Kim, Julie and the immediate family….. I was and am so sorry for the ” Great” loss of my ” “Uncle Ralph” !!! . He was very special to me . He was always there to help me whenever I got my self into a predicament or whenever , never any questions asked !!! And, more importantly, would always get a kick out of my inept attempt at humor. I remember several times him laughing so hard at times ,I thought he was going to burst he got so red!!! I will miss him dearly Also, we both loved our sports conversations !!!.Love , Dana Gregory Nephew of Ralph and Shirley( sister of my mother) cousin if Kim & Julie and there families
Dear Shirley, Tony and I often talk about you and Ralph. We had so many great memories of our times spent together! We are so sorry to read about Ralph passing. We so enjoyed our stay in WA, and meeting the two of you made it feel like home! We love and miss you. Time has flown, we are retired and enjoying it. Please email me at wagnercarla28@yahoo. Com. I would love to catch up on how you are doing and the how the girls are! Hugs. Carla