Eleanor Dee Shaffer Spence

Eleanor Dee (Shaffer) Spence departed this life from Celebration Villa in Chippawa, Pennsylvania to her eternal home on December 7, 2022, at the age of ninety-four. She was proud of the fact that she had lived longer than anyone else in her family. She was born May 25, 1928, on the family farm near Worthville, Ringgold Township, Jefferson County, PA to Fred Roosevelt and Florence Lucretia (Bailey) Shaffer. Raised on the farm, she attended the Weaver one-room school in Ringgold Township and graduated from Punxsutawney Area High School. She attended Clarion State Teacher’s College, where she met the love of her life, Joseph Marsden Spence of Titusville, PA. She graduated from Clarion in 1949, and they were married at her family’s home on April 14, 1951. He preceded her in death on September 7, 1966. At Clarion, she was a member and officer of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority. Following graduation, she taught school in Titusville, PA and later taught at the Weaver school before moving first to Wilkinsburg and then to Penn Hills, near Pittsburgh, PA. The majority of her career was spent teaching third and fourth grades at Forbes Elementary School in the Penn Hills School District, where she lived for 27 years. After her retirement from teaching she moved to Beaver, PA, where she was an active member of First Presbyterian Church. She was able to travel extensively after her retirement and visited nearly a dozen foreign countries and more than twenty states. In retirement she volunteered with Meals on Wheels and was a member of the Woman’s Club of Beaver, serving terms as president and treasurer of that organization. She was also a member of the Century Club and First Presbyterian’s Naomi Sisters, which she helped form. In her spare time, she enjoyed gardening, reading, and putting together puzzles; and was a regular attendee at First Presbyterian’s weekly Bible study group. Prior to joining First Presbyterian Church, she was a member and Elder of Penn Hills Presbyterian Church. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, an infant brother, Frederick Dale Shaffer, and an infant granddaughter, Katherine Spence Helms. She is survived a daughter, Linda (D. Michael) Helms of Beaver, PA; and a son, Rev. Timothy (Laurie Glover) Spence of Punxsutawney, PA; two granddaughters, Jennifer Helms (John, Sr.) Shaffer of Hermitage, PA, and Elizabeth Helms (Conner) Swarthout of Murrieta, CA. She is also survived by four great-grandsons, Titus and Rowan Swarthout, and John, Jr., and Joseph Shaffer. She is also survived by her youngest brother, Lyle R. (Nancy) Shaffer of Church Hill, TN, and many cousins including Thomas (Maria) Carroll and their daughter Linda of Oakdale, PA, Patti Messner of Bulger, PA, and Emogene (Shaffer Weaver) Doverspike of Idaho. Other survivors include two nephews, William (Sonia) Shaffer of Cocoa, FL and Keith Murray of Rochester, NY; five nieces, Barbara Ives and Jane Hayes of Titusville, PA, Beverly Wallwork and Marsha Bernstein of Rochester NY and Marilyn (Michael) Green of FL; one sister-in-law, Treva (Spence) Murray of DuBois, PA, two great-nieces, Olivia and Natalie Shaffer and five great-nephews, Brian and Eric Ives, David and Brian Green, and Brett Wallwork, and several great-great nieces and nephews. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 PM on Thursday, December 15, 2022 at the Noll Funeral Home Inc., 333 Third Street, Beaver, PA 15009. Funeral services will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 252 College Avenue, Beaver, PA 15009 at 11:00 AM on Friday, December 16, 2022 with the Rev. Jeffrey Arnold presiding. Interment will be in the Worthville Cemetery, Ringgold Township, Jefferson County, PA, with graveside services at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Beaver, the Worthville Cemetery Association, or to the Beaver Area Memorial Library. Online condolences may be shared at www.nollfuneral.com. The family expresses its appreciation to the staff of Celebration Villa of Chippewa and Grane Hospice for their kind and compassionate care.