Born July 29, 1921 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Spike passed peacefully into the hands of the Lord on Friday, August 9, 2019. She was preceded in death by her 1st husband, William R. (Bill) Culbertson, and 2nd husband, William R. (Bobby) Finn, and children, Thomas Finn and Lori (Finn) Gauthier. Spike has left behind many loved ones, including Joseph Culbertson, Debbie Wagner, Kathy Phillips, Roger Clark, Sharon (Finn) Ferris, Terry (Finn) Ruscio, Sheila (Finn) Trojanowski, Pat Finn, and many grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces and nephews and friends that loved her dearly.
At 98 years young, Spike was still the life of the party, was living independently without any aides and was a devoted Christian. She loved conversing about golf, the pop culture of the day, politics, reciting the history of America giving many firsthand accounts, playing bridge, margaritas, pinot grigio, tiramisu and cheesecake, and up to a week before her passing enjoyed going out two or three times a week with friends and family.
After attending Oklahoma State University, Spike moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked for Washington Engineering Company. Following that she went to the Naval Ship Systems Command in the U.S. Navy Department, where she worked for 30 years before retiring to Florida. She was a non-veteran, but served and loved her country dearly all the days of her life. During the war she worked six days a week. After her efforts during WWII, Spike was granted Top Secret Clearance for the last 25 years of her career. By the time she retired, Spike was the head of her division, which consisted of engineers, supply and administrative personnel. This was quite an accomplishment for a female during this time and she led the way for many more. She often said she had the best job in the Navy because her captain would just say, don’t get me in trouble, and felt confident to leave her in charge (again, not common for women at this time).
She had many fond memories from her days in Washington, D.C., including being there for the inaugurations of Presidents Roosevelt and Kennedy. From their office, the team would go out for softball games at the foot of the Washington Monument, go out the back door to the Reflection Pool and had daily views of both the Lincoln and Jefferson monuments. She was there for the construction of the Pentagon and made many trips there as part of her daily work routine. She loved flying in Marine planes and seeing President Truman taking a morning walk. Spike said she was fortunate to be able to attend two very early Space Shuttle blastoffs from Cape Canaveral and there was no feeling like being present for it in those days, including one with Former President Nixon in the stands.
She earned her nickname of Spike early in life, when she would call her then boyfriend, Bill, “Curly” with all his locks, and so he started endearingly calling her “Spike” and her good friend, “Butch,” and this tiny in stature, extremely proper and poised lady fell in love with Bill, and the name he gave her, “Spike.”
Her leadership skills continued throughout her retirement years, as she served on many committees and boards, including in most recent years the Board of Directors of the Palm Beach Yacht and Beach Club in Pompano Beach, the Atlantis Villas Condo Association, and Atlantis Country Club and the Carlisle, Palm Beach, starting and organizing clubs, where she was described as the lifeblood. Spike was an extremely generous person, giving endless amounts of time helping others, and also openly and anonymously donating to help others in need. She was a very kind soul, unforgettable, and will be greatly missed by so many.
In lieu of flowers, those who wish may donate in her memory to Trustbridge (Hospice), who took amazing care of Spike, and previously Bill and Bobby - Trustbridge, 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407.
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