Teri Spears

Geraldine Irene Spears (Teri) (Dolly) passed away peacefully in her home in Roseville, California on November 26, 2021. She was 95 years old. Teri is preceded in death by her husband of 58.5 years, Robert M. Spears in August 2005.

Teri was born and grew up in San Francisco, California on September 22, 1926 to Lillian Ruth Boe and Elmer Casperson. She was an only child. After she graduated from High School, she worked at The Emporium and the National Biscuit Company in San Francisco. During that time, Teri made trips to Quincy, California to visit relatives and that is where she met her future husband, Robert Spears.

She said Robert was quite a dancer and handsome. They dated three short months and were married on October 6, 1946 in Reno, Nevada. This was one of two weddings as her priest told her the Reno wedding was not church sanctioned and that they needed to live in their own homes until they could have a church service. So, they did just that. They were married by the Catholic Church on October 9, 1946.

For the first decade of their married lives, Teri and Robert lived in Quincy in a home they built, and then later moved to Oroville briefly, as Robert looked for worked. In 1957 they moved to the home in Roseville in which they shared the rest of their lives.

In Roseville, Teri worked for Gabrelli Construction on the same street as her home. Then later, she worked for Major and Rose Accounting as a bookkeeper and accounts payable clerk. She also worked for her brother-in-law, Billy Spears at his restaurant, The Bull Pit, as a bookkeeper.

She and Robert had two daughters and is survived by them and their families: Karen Toscani, Kathy and Greg Schell; her granddaughter Nicki and Derek Mitchell, her grandsons Bryan and Cyndi Toscani, Brad and Julie Schell, Zach and Isla Schell; and great grandchildren Emma Toscani, Julia Toscani, Quentin Mitchell, Madison Schell and Max Schell. Teri loved and cherished her family and all the times spent together.

Teri’s sisters-in-law Mary (Sis) Paquin and Sibyle Spears were her best friends and constant companions in shopping and many other fun-filled and crazy adventures.

Teri also loved a challenging crossword puzzle, completing several different puzzles each day. She was an avid seamstress and made all of her children's clothing. Teri watched all the game shows and surprised us with her quick answers; she was sharp as a tack. She also was a math whiz, and did her own bookkeeping and paperwork for her rentals.

Growing tomatoes and flowers in her garden, fixing small appliances, and even helping to work on the cars with Robert were just a few of her talents. She never shied away from a challenge or problem, big or small.

Teri and Robert loved to play Pinochle with friends and relatives. They took trips to Hawaii, cruised to Alaska, drove to Arkansas, Texas and many other states. Teri loved California beaches and Disneyland.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Lambert’s Funeral Home on Friday, January 21, 2022 at 1:00 PM. Following the celebration of life, there will be a catered reception at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the SPCA, National Breast Cancer Foundation, or a charity of your choice