Shirley Spencer

MADISON - Shirley Dunbar Spencer, age 84, died on July 1, 2019, surrounded by her family at Agrace HospiceCare in Madison, Wisconsin after a 16-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Shortly after her diagnosis, Shirley became an active and courageous participant at the Alzheimer’s Disease and Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Shirley was a cherished wife, and a loving, devoted mother and grandmother. Highly intelligent, she was a lover of words who never stopped reading and learning. She was wonderful cook, valued employee, expert seamstress and award-winning quilter who loved sharing her work. Shirley was born on Sept. 13, 1934, in Los Angeles, California to Ethel and Robert Dunbar. She was a 1952 graduate of Springfield High School and attended Ohio University. A beautiful blue-eyed brunette, Shirley was spotted one Sunday morning in the choir by Richard “Dick” Spencer. They married on Sept. 19, 1953 and began life together in Columbus, Ohio. When Dick entered the U.S. Navy, they moved to Port Hueneme, California spending three happy years there and welcoming their first two children. In 1957, they returned to Springfield, Ohio where two more children were born. Shirley said her greatest ambition was to be a wife and mother. She excelled at both. Shirley and Dick were a great team, providing a calm, loving home and establishing traditions that continue to be the source of rich memories for family and friends alike. Birthdays and holidays were celebrated with homemade cakes and handmade gifts. Humor and laughter were highly valued. In the summer of 1968, Dick was called to work on a project in California, so the whole family piled into the car and headed west on Route 66. Shirley took the kids on adventures, recalling later that she spent her time counting four heads everywhere they went. Her children treasure the memory of her hands sweeping over a bolt of unrolled fabric as she planned her next project. Shirley patiently typed every high school paper produced by her children. She was a walking dictionary for spelling and definitions and taught her kids to value articulate communication. She participated in the PTA, and attended concerts, recitals, and ceremonies for all her children. Shirley worked for Ohio Congressman Clarence Brown, and later, after moving the family to Rockford, Illinois, she worked for Congresswoman Lynn Martin, receiving recognition for her expertise in military and immigration issues. Survivors include her husband, Dick; son, Rick (Amy); daughters, Ellen (Bill) Montei, Sarah Spencer and Beth (Andrew) Ravenscroft; grandchildren, Spencer (Lindsay), Katherine (Steve) Ziegler, William, Olivia and Charlotte; and great-grandchildren, Janelle, Josephine, Meredith, Joshua, Fox, and Wilder. Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; and her sister, Susan Dunbar. A memorial service will be held at OAKWOOD VILLAGE WEST, 6205 Mineral Point Road, Madison, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, 2019, with Pastor Jim Kirk presiding. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate gifts to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease at www.adrc.wisc.edu/give and Research Center or Agrace HospiceCare at www.agrace.org/donate/donate-today. The family wishes to thank Shirley’s caregivers at Oakwood Village through the long hard journey and the staff of Agrace HospiceCare in Madison for their professional and compassionate care. Please share your condolences at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson West Funeral & Cremation Care 7435 University Avenue (608) 831-6761