Walter Lee Spellman

At the age of 82 years, son of Walter J. and Mary Spellman, died February 28 in Santa Rosa, Calif. The man with the booming voice, gentle demeanor and great sense of humor was the husband of Mary, with whom he would have celebrated 60 years of marriage this year; father of Judy, Maura (Terry) Eggert, Neal, Mike and Peggy (Craig) Jacobs; and brother of Dorothy (who preceded him in death) and Lynn (Bryan) West. Born on May 12, 1932, in Omaha, Neb., Walter moved to Santa Monica when he was 7. After his days at Santa Monica High School, he attended St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA, where he was student body president, but more significant than that, it was at St. Mary's that he met Mary Dwyer (Holy Names); they were married Oct. 9, 1954, at St. Catherine's Church in Burlingame, CA. After graduation, Walter spent a summer on horseback searching the Four Corners area for uranium while working for a mining company. He then taught one year at St. Mary's High School in Berkeley, CA, before joining the U.S. Army; he was stationed in Seattle during the Korean conflict. After his time in the service, Walter began a long and distinguished sales career at Kraft Foods in Seattle before relocating to Chicago, where he eventually rose to Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Among his many achievements at Kraft, he was a key leader responsible for making "Parkay", the No. 1 margarine brand in the United States. The longtime resident of Arlington Heights retired in 1989 and moved to Santa Rosa, where he absolutely soaked up life: trying out new restaurants with family and friends, heading to the golf course with his buddies, always reading the latest biography, and continuing to volunteer at SCORE, where he shared his expertise with small-business owners. The devoted husband and loving father will be greatly missed, but we take great comfort in knowing he was at peace surrounded by loved ones. Family and friends are invited to attend a Memorial Mass on Monday, March 10, 2014 at 11:00 A.M. at the Star of the Valley Catholic Church (545 White Oak Drive, Santa Rosa [Oakmont], CA, 95409). Private inurnment; St. John Urn Garden; Calvary Catholic Cemetery (2930 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, CA, 95404). As an expression of sympathy, the family welcomes and prefers memorial contribution's in Walter's name be directed to the Redwood Empire Food Bank (3990 Brickway Blvd., Santa Rosa, CA, 95403) or to the Sisters of the Holy Family (P.O. Box 3248-0324, Mission San Jose, CA, 94539).