Rose A. Spencer

Spencer, Rose A. Maria Rosa Adelina Sanchez Spencer passed peacefully in her sleep in the early morning hours of June 22, 2012. Born near Trementina, NM on March 12, 1926 to Onecimo & Irinea (Gonzalez) Sanchez, Rose was the 5th of 10 children. The family moved to Las Vegas, NM where Rose graduated from the University High School & entered New Mexico Highlands University, graduating with a BA 4 years later. Rose worked in many capacities for the State of New Mexico until finally deciding to enter the US Army in February 1957. As a 1st Lieutenant, she was assigned to Brooks Army Hospital as an administrating officer, then stationed at Ft. McClellan Army Base where she met the strapping (and single) Captain Garry Spencer. Rose resigned her commission in May 1960 shortly after marrying Garry and began a family. While dad was stationed in Korea, mom went back home to Las Vegas and had their first child, Cristina. Reassigned to Ft. Sam Houston in Texas, Patricia and Janet quickly joined the family. Mom followed dad to various posts and bases in country and finally to Germany, where son Richard was born. The family spent much time traveling extensively in Europe. Returning back to the states, dad was assigned to Columbus, Ohio in preparation for deployment to Vietnam. While in Vietnam, mom & �her brood� returned to Albuquerque, where Marcia, their last, was born. Dad returned home and was stationed at the Pentagon and finally as second-in-command at Letterkenny Army Depot in Pennsylvania. All the while, mom was working toward gaining her teaching credentials in preparation for �life after the military�. Upon dad�s retirement from the Army, the Spencer clan moved to Albuquerque where mom began teaching for Los Lunas Schools. While employed for the school district, mom worked at Los Lunas Junior High (now LLMS), Central Elementary (now RGE), Bosque Farms Elementary and Peralta Elementary. Mom earned her Master�s Degree from UNM in Elementary Education, with a concentration in Reading. She was one of the 1st NEA presidents in the district and spearheaded the effort to bring the Title I Reading Program to the schools. She presented at many reading conferences throughout the country and continued taking classes during her summers �off�, in order to provide her students the most current methods in learning to read. Mom eventually retired in 1991 and spent her retirement volunteering at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church and doing outreach to many of it�s parishioners. She and dad also traveled quite a bit, taking trips to San Antonio, Canada, Arizona and California and spending many summers in Rosiada, NM and Pagosa Springs, Colorado. After 48 years of marriage, dad passed away in May of 2008. Mom joined him a little over 5 years later. She was also preceded in death by her parents; sisters Lucia Martinez, Eliza Garcia, and Consuelo Martinez; brothers, Lorenzo, Daniel and Onecimo Sanchez and nephews Teddy Sanchez, Carlos Martinez and George Garcia. She is survived by daughters, Cristina Jaramillo & husband Armarante Jaramillo, Jr., Patricia Price & husband Robert, Janet Phillips & husband James, Marcia Spencer; and son, Richard Spencer. Her grandchildren include: Kristen Hernandez & husband Diego, Jessica Jaramillo, Zachary Spencer, Garry-William Price, Phillip Spencer, Trevor Spencer, Nick Spencer-Phillips, Catherine Rose Spencer-Phillips and Isabella Spencer; three great-grandchildren, Elias, Mateo & Olivia Hernandez; her sister, Sofia Martinez; brothers, Luis and Carlos Sanchez; sisters-in law, Margaret, Sally, and Emily Sanchez , Barbara Dufromont; brother-in-law, Ivan Spencer, Jr. and wife Marilyn; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended relatives and a host of friends. A Rosary will be recited Thursday, June 27, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Daniels - Alameda Mortuary, 9420 Fourth Street NW. Service of Christian Burial will be Friday, June 28, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church. Interment will follow at Santa Fe National Cemetery at 12:45 p.m. Military Honors will be accorded by the Santa Fe Veterans of Foreign Wars Honor Guard. Rose's care has been entrusted to: Daniels Family Funeral Services ALAMEDA MORTUARY 9420 Fourth St. NW Albuquerque, NM 87114 (505) 898-3160