Doris May Van Wyk Spangler passed away on February 18, 2019, at the McGraw Community Hospice in Jacksonville, Florida at the age of 95. Doris was born at home in Patterson, New Jersey on April 16, 1923. She was heavily influenced in life by the difficult years of her childhood during the Great Depression.
She was the daughter of Peter Van Wyk of Patterson, New Jersey and Anna May Nicholson of Elizabeth, New Jersey. She had one brother, Norman, whom she loved very much, and who passed away in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1974.
She married Captain Rodger Morris Spangler, known as Rod, in August, 1943 in Columbus, Mississippi while Rod was in flight school with the United States Air Force. He flew many missions over Europe as a B-24 bomber pilot and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. They had their first daughter, Jane, born in Rahway, New Jersey in August 1945. Doris, Rod, and Jane relocated to Berlin, Germany where he flew in the Berlin Airlift. Returning to the States, their second daughter Joan was born in the Fort Bliss Army Hospital, El Paso, Texas on December 1951.
Rod began a career flying for American Airlines and the family moved to Ridgewood, New Jersey. Their third daughter Jill was born in there in March of 1953. Doris and her family relocated to Thousand Oaks, California where Rod finished his flying career. They then relocated to Arlington, Texas where Rod retired from flight instruction school. He passed away in 1984 in Arlington, Texas.
Leaving Arlington, Texas, Doris lived several years in Denver, Colorado near her daughter Jill and then moved to Brookfield, Connecticut, near her daughter Jane. She relocated to Jacksonville, Florida when Jane’s family relocated to nearby Amelia Island in 2001. She lived in Cypress Village, a senior living community, until her passing.
Doris is survived by her three daughters, Jane Flynn of Amelia Island, FL, Joan of Thousand Oaks, CA and Jill Moore of Punta Gorda, FL. Collectively she had 7 Grandchildren and 14 Great Grandchildren.
Doris was a homemaker and considered family the most important aspect of her life. She loved ballet and tap dancing as a young girl and desperately wanted to become a Rockette. Alas, when you are 5 feet tall, that wasn’t to be. She was an accomplished seamstress and developed a passion for painting in oils and watercolor later in life, with her works proudly displayed in her and her daughters’ homes.
Interment will be at White Chapel Memorial Gardens in Arlington, Texas.
In lieu of flowers please donate to the McGraw Community Hospice Center in Jacksonville, Florida.
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