Constance Marilyn Asbury Spencer
(January 2, 1942 – June 26, 2024)
Born in New York City in 1942 and raised in Rockville Centre on Long Island, she met her future husband Robert Spencer at an early age. They grew up together in their circle of friends but did not date seriously until college. She started attending University of Michigan pre-med, but transferred to UC Santa Barbara and earned a BA in English. While at UCSB, she served for a time as president of her chapter of Sigma Kappa sorority.
A lifelong learner, she continued her education earning a teaching credential at UCLA, and began teaching in New York. She married Robert Spencer shortly after his graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1966 and they moved to Florida where he began his career and pursued his passion as a helicopter pilot and instructor. She earned her MA in English from the University of West Florida and taught middle school.
Her passion as an educator stretched throughout her lifetime. As life in the US Navy relocated their family to southern California, she taught in public school and privately through academies and as a consultant. For a time in the 1970s and 80s, she pursued work in the private sector as a sales rep and district manager for Avon, then operated a computer school as personal computers entered households in the 1980s. Eventually, she returned to public school teaching and spent 22 years at Walnut High School before retiring in 2007. She earned district teacher of the year in 2004 and was honored in the town parade as grand marshall.
Constance was passionate about education. She jointly authored grant applications drawing in over $1.2 million dollars for her district. She continued her own in pursuit of a doctorate and ensured her two sons received college degrees. Though she did not complete her doctorate, she found other ways to practice lifelong learning, earning additional credentials. She passed on her knowledge, guiding students as a mentor and tutor for college applications and admissions tests, helping hundreds of students go on to college successfully.
Cultured in the arts, she enjoyed theater and musicals as a patron in New York and Southern California. Constance was always reading, whether it was at home in southern California or at her most favorite place of all, their hillside cabin on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. But most of all she was devoted to her family, especially her husband, who remained steadfastly by her side throughout their 57 years of marriage. Constance is survived by husband Robert, sons Keane and Keith, sister Barbara, and five grandchildren.
A visitation for family and friends will be held from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, on Monday, July 22, 2024, at Bowman Funeral Parlor, 10254 W. Carlton Bay Dr. in Garden City. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am, Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at Bowman Funeral Parlor. Burial will follow at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in Boise.
Following the committal service, a wake will be held in a private dining room at 2pm at Coyne’s Restaurant, located at 676 E Riverside Dr. Eagle, ID 83616.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions in Constance’s name be made to the ASPCA, https://secure.aspca.org/donate/ps-gn-p2?ms=MP_PMK_Googlebrand&initialms=MP_PMK_Googlebrand&pcode=WPSN7GO2PK01&lpcode=WPSN7GO1PK01&test&ds_rl=1066461&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIp8LMob__hgMVy8zCBB0p9gPLEAAYASAAEgIbtfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
To watch Constance’s video tribute, please visit: https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/TS2B6M3K4BPQM34L
Arrangements are under the direction of Bowman Funeral Parlor of Garden City.