JANE SPANGLER

Born in Maysville, Kentucky, May 19, 1943, Jane was the third daughter of Louis Stockton Bower and Julia Wallingford Bower of Flemingsburg, KY. She passed away on December 30th 2011, in Santa Clara, California, after a difficult battle with pneumonia and other pulmonary troubles. Her husband John P. Spangler, son Paul M. Spangler, and nephew Tim Stivers, were at her side. She is survived by her husband John, son Paul (daughter-in-law Beatrice), her sister Betty Bower Wood (brother-in-law Woodson Wood of Maysville, KY) and sister Ann Bower Stivers (of Louisville, KY), as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, all beloved.

After graduating high school in Flemingsburg, in 1961 she joined her sister Ann, then working in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There she met and married John, July 20, 1962, whereupon they followed the call of the electronics industry to the Silicon Valley of California. She joined the staff of Ampex Inc., a pioneer of tape recorders, and later in the 1970's, the American Institute for Research, where she became involved in producing MCAT medical college admissions tests. Things medical, scientific, and psychological remained of enduring interest all of her life.

She was very proud of her Kentucky roots and spoke often with zest and humor of her Flemingsburg upbringing.

A huge animal lover, Jane grew up with a love of horses, and as a young woman was a blue ribbon equitation rider. In her adulthood, she volunteered at Wildlife Rescue bringing home various injured pets. And on a trip back to Kentucky she even adopted a hound dog which she had found limping and injured by the side of the road. She refused to part with the dog bringing it home to continue nursing it in California. Birds and the study of bird calls, were also a great passion.

She greatly enjoyed travel. She savored the sights of many European cities. In the 1970's she explored London's Bloomsbury area, central to a group of authors that particularly fascinated her. In 1976, humoring her husband's lifelong interest with ancient Egypt, she joined and enjoyed a tour up the Nile. Years later, in what was her final foreign trip, Jane took great delight in visiting northern Spain, home to her daughter-in-law's mother, and visited much more in that country.

Her political views became tinged with Left Coast radicalism and she was an active campaigner for various social causes. Regarding theology, she was an ardent seeker after truth, exploring and practicing many philosophies. She concluded that God in His wisdom failed to get everything right. May Truth and Enlightenment reward her.

Funeral Services, arranged by Boone-Nickell Funeral Home, will be held on Saturday, Jan 21st, 2011. Visitation at 10am and Memorial Service at 11am at the Flemingsburg Presbyterian Church with Graveside service to be held at Fleming County Cemetery, Flemingsburg. Reception to follow at the Bower House, 134 West Water St., Flemingsburg.

Flowers are welcome as an expression of sympathy. Alternatively, the family suggest that memorial contributions may be made to any of the following charities: The American Lung Association (www.lungusa.org), The Human Society of the United States (www.humanesociety.org), or The National Audubon Society (www.audubon.org).