Marion Torrance Spence, Age 94 of Willoughby, OH, died Sunday, December 31, 2017 at Ohio Living Breckenridge Village. Born July 18, 1923 in the town of North Elba, NY to Rollie and Charlotte (nee: Cram) Torrance, Marion attended a one-room school on the family’s dairy farm and graduated from Lake Placid High School. A 1944 graduate of Ellis Hospital School of Nursing in Schenectady, NY, Marion served as a nurse in the Army during World War II and the Korean War. During WWII, she spent 39 days on a hospital ship going through the Panama Canal, 2 months in the Philippines and a year in Japan. She was recalled to duty in 1950 and spent two years at Tripler Hospital in Honolulu as Head Floor Nurse. It was at Tripler that she met her future husband, Alexander Spence. Marion served in the Army for nearly 10 years, achieving the rank of Captain by the time she was discharged in 1955.

Marion and Al were married on May 21, 1955. They lived in Glens Falls, NY and then Columbia, MO where Al attended the University of Missouri and Marion worked as a nurse. Al accepted a faculty position at State University of New York at Cortland, and Marion worked periodically at Cortland Memorial Hospital as a nurse and Clinical Instructor.

Marion was active in the Cortland community. She was a Girl Scout leader for many years. She served on the Board of Directors for the Brewster House and for the YWCA of Cortland. She enjoyed her years as a member of the Faculty Wives Club. Marion was a lifelong member of the Ladies’ Literary Society of Cortland, and served as a Deacon in the United Presbyterian Church.

In 2005, Marion and Al moved from Cortland to Breckenridge Village Retirement Community in Willoughby, OH. During her years there, Marion was honored for 1000 hours of volunteer service. She also drove a Soap Box Derby car in the Breckenridge race day at the age of 90! Twice a survivor of cancer, Marion kept physically active and cared for Al during his several years of Lewy Body Dementia preceding his death in 2012. The teamwork Marion and Al displayed in their marriage has served as an inspiration to their children and grandchildren. Marion was a patient and loving mother, quietly encouraging and always supportive.

Marion is survived by her children Mark (Stephanie) Spence of Midland, MI, Carol (Chuck) Tuttle of Chardon, OH and Cindy (Matthew) Hutcheson of Jeanette, PA, as well as grandchildren Brian (Jess) Spence, Tori (Matthew) Spence-McConnell, Lisa (Bruce) Schroeder, Katie Tuttle, Jenni Tuttle, Sarah Hutcheson and Alex Hutcheson.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at the Lyons Chapel at Ohio Living Breckenridge Village 36855 Ridge Rd, Willoughby, OH 44094. Family will receive friends at 10:00 am, followed by the service at 11:00 am. Burial will be at the North Elba Cemetery in Lake Placid, NY at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Cortland (NY) YWCA http://cortlandywca.org/index.php/donate-now.html or the Women in Military Service in America Memorial https://www.womensmemorial.org

Arrangements made by the Burr Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 116 Street, Chardon, Ohio 44024