Darla Elaine Spiess

October 10th, 1962 – January 16th, 2026

Darla Elaine (Wallace) Spiess, beloved Wife, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Cousin, and Friend transitioned from this life and into the loving arms of Jesus on January 16th, 2026, with her husband by her side.

Darla was born on October 10th, 1962, in Walnut Creek, California, the youngest child of Donald Wallace and Lorene (Cooper) Wallace. She was raised with her siblings in Oakley, California. She grew up riding horses and tending to other livestock, which led to her life-long love of animals big and small. The family spent summers in Oklahoma, creating memories that she would often recall with warmth and nostalgia.

After graduating high school, she went into early childhood education, working and serving at many pre-schools, daycares, and programs in the East Bay. It was not unusual for now-grown former students to recognize her; these moments always warmed her heart.

Darla cherished her Christian faith from a young age, and she found happiness in youth and community outreach through church. The calling to share the love of Christ gave Darla the opportunity to visit the Philippines and later live in Hawaii. She felt a deep bond with both cultures for the rest of her life.

Darlia is survived by her dear husband, Larry Spiess, whom she met through mutual friends in 2000; they later married in Lake Tahoe, California in 2001. They spent 24 years together, doting on their cats, and their beloved Chihuahua, Sammy.

Darla is also survived by her siblings Roger (Nita) of Brentwood, California; Steve (Joyce) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Donna (Robert) of Port Orchard, Washington; Aunt Darlene of Sapulpa, Oklahoma; Uncle Verble of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Aunt Elaine of Waterford, California. Others who will cherish Darla’s memory are her nieces and nephews, as well as cousins, from across the country. She is preceded in death by her parents, and her beloved niece, Jeannie.