Barb Spangler

Barb Spangler passed away on February 4 at her home in Newport after a courageous battle with brain cancer. She was 71. Barb was a long-time resident of Newport, well known in the community for her long career in the title and escrow industry. Over the course of more than 30 years as an escrow officer in Newport, she closed thousands of real estate transactions for multiple generations of Lincoln County families and home owners. Barb’s gift for putting her clients at ease during the often stressful closing process, along with her professionalism and attention to detail, earned her a devoted following among Lincoln County’s real estate professionals. Born Barbara Lynn Brickell on March 30, 1952 in Portland, Barb was the only child of Jack and Dora (Cameron) Brickell. She grew up in southwest Portland, in the home that her dad Jack built for the family near Multnomah Village. Barb enjoyed a wonderful childhood and cherished her friendships from the old neighborhood, many of which she maintained for the rest of her life. Barb graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in 1970, and then attended Oregon State University, graduating in 1975. After graduation from OSU, Barb moved to Newport and shortly after started her career as an escrow officer with Transamerica Title. When George Slape purchased Transamerica’s Lincoln County operation in 1983, Barb became one of the founding employees of George’s new company, Lincoln County Title and Escrow, which later expanded throughout Oregon as Western Title and Escrow. She remained with the company for another 27 years. In 1983, Barb married Matt Spangler, and she and Matt embarked on a wonderful life partnership of more than 40 years. In 1989, they completed their family with the birth of their daughter Alison. For all of her many other accomplishments in life, Barb was above all a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, and she loved her family deeply. We will all miss her beyond words. Foremost among Barb’s many interests was her passion for cooking and good food. An inspired and talented home chef, she loved sharing her creations with family and friends. She was at her happiest sharing good food and good wine at her table, whether it was her celebrated Thanksgiving feasts, summer gatherings at the family cabin in Montana, or her famous ladies-only cocktail parties at her Newport home. A lover of animals, Barb had a special place in her heart for her Appaloosa horses and her Australian shepherd dogs. She passed along her passion for horses and riding to her daughter Alison, who became an avid equestrian competitor. Many great family memories were made traveling to and competing in horse shows throughout Oregon, and Barb loved her role as the consummate “show mom”. True to her character, Barb faced her illness with a remarkable spirit and strong determination. Though we lost our Barb far too soon, our broken hearts take comfort in knowing we were blessed to share in a life so well lived. Barb is survived by her husband Matt Spangler, her daughter Alison Spangler Ellingsen and son-in-law Peter Ellingsen, and her granddaughter Sommer Ellingsen, all of Newport, and her brother-in-law Mark Spangler and sister-in-law Sue Ceswick of Portland. The family extends its sincere appreciation to all the providers that cared for Barb during her illness, especially Kathryn Strickland and Dr. Bud Pierce with Samaritan Hematology and Oncology, Dr. Norman Yeh and the staff at Samaritan Radiation Oncology, and the staff and volunteers at Samaritan Evergreen Hospice. We would also like to thank Barb’s many wonderful friends for all the love and support you provided during the course of Barb’s illness. Plans for a memorial gathering will be announced at a later date.

Tributes

Barb Spangler

March 30, 1952 - February 4, 2024