Robert M. Spees, 72, Plover, died Monday, Dec. 20, 1999, at River Pines Center after a battle with lung cancer.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church 600 Wilshire Blvd., with the Rev. Graham West officiating. A light lunch and fellowship will follow the services.
A memorial will be established in his name.
He donated his body for research to the University of Wisconsin Medical School.
Mr. Spees was born March 31, 1927, a son of the Rev. Edgar A. and Betsey M. (Anderson) Spees.
He graduated from Plainfield High School and enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 17, serving in the occupational forces in Japan.
He was married to Barbara A. Ray on Sept. 9, 1948. She survives.
He received a bachelor’s degree from Central State Teachers College in Stevens Point and his master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
He began his teaching career in Bruce and later taught at Marshfield and Ashland, where he was also an elementary school principal.
He worked in textbook sales for a number of years before returning as the Title I teacher in Nekoosa until his retirement in 1991.
They moved to Plover six years ago after living in Port Edwards for more than 30 years.
Survivors besides his wife include four children, Gregory M. (Rose), Portage, Kerry A. Spees, Green Bay, Jonathan J. Spees, Santa Monica, Calif., and Sarah (Dean) Pieczynski, Stevens Point; two brothers, Garth (Maralou), Plainfield, and Tom (Elaine), Rothschild; two sisters, Maxeen Roecker, Fresno, Calif., and Nelda (Ray) Gibbs, Schofield; and 10 grandchildren.
