Genevieve Alice Rowand Spivey, longtime Oak Harbor resident, died on Sunday, March 26, at the family home in Oak Harbor. She was 94 years of age. Gen was born July 3, 1922, in Winlock, Wash., to George O. and Stella (Cipra) Elliott.
Her entire childhood was spent at the family home on the bank of the Olequa River. Upon graduating from high school in 1939, she enrolled in Western Washington College of Education, now Western Washington University, in Bellingham. After receiving her teaching certificate, she signed a contract to teach junior high mathematics in the Shelton School District. Her first contract was $1,200 a year.
During wartime, all hands were needed to help the war effort. She took a job at Boeing during her summer vacation. Her job consisted of climbing a tall ladder and washing the light reflectors. The lights were not turned off, so it was tricky not to touch them as she cleaned. An older lady was hired to hold her ladder. Gen was paid a little over a dollar per hour.
During her third year of teaching in Shelton, Gen took a bus trip to visit a friend in Longview, Wash. A young soldier from New Jersey, LeRoy Rowand, sat down beside her and told her that he was on his way to Oregon to serve as best man at Tom Spivey’s wedding, his best friend. This encounter led to their June wedding in Salinas, Kansas, where the 44th Division Recon Troop was stationed. Tom Spivey served as best man.
Gen returned to Shelton to teach for two more years while Leroy and the 44th were sent to Europe to fight in WWII. When LeRoy returned after the war ended, they moved to Bellingham, where she received her bachelor’s degree and LeRoy his master’s degree and principal’s credentials. The couple moved to Langley, living there four years before moving to Oak Harbor.
For the next 24 years, Gen cared for their four children — Linda, Tim, Doug and Susie — while teaching in Oak Harbor and Coupeville. When both LeRoy and Gen had retired in 1979, Gen had time to pursue her many interests, including genealogy and the environment.
She was a longtime member of the Whidbey Island Genealogical Searchers and Island County Beach Watchers, where she was especially proud to receive her 1,000-hours volunteer pin. She sang in the First United Methodist Church choir and served as chief examiner for the Island County Civil Service Commission.
Gen and LeRoy enjoyed 22 years of traveling, boating, fishing, crabbing and square dancing, during retirement before LeRoy died in 1998.
In January of 2000, Gen married Tom Spivey, who had also lost his spouse. They had nine wonderful years together before he died in 2008.
Gen is survived by all her children, Linda Rowand (Steve) McCullough, Tim (Debbie) Rowand, Doug (Carol) Rowand and Susie Rowand Thompson; and her stepchildren, Tom (Amber) Spivey and Susan Spivey (Gunther).
Also surviving are grandchildren Vanessa Rowand (Jason) Malcolm, Kelli Rowand (Nick) Montgomery, Eric (Jill) McCullough, Tate McCullough, Parker Rowand and Hope Thompson; great-grandchildren Kyle McCullough, Chase Allen, Presley Malcolm, Stella Montgomery and Audrey Montgomery; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
A service to honor Gen’s life will be held at 2 p.m. May 13 at the First United Methodist Church, Oak Harbor, with Chaplain David G. Lura, USNR (Ret) officiating. The family suggests memorials to the First United Methodist Church, 1050 SE Ireland St., Oak Harbor, WA 98277, or Sound Water Stewards of Island County (formerly the Island County Beach Watchers) at P.O. Box 1620, Freeland, WA 98249.
Arrangements entrusted to Wallin Funeral Home, Oak Harbor. Please visit Gen’s Page in the Book of Memories online at www.wallinfuneralhome.com to share memories and condolences.
