Dr. Sandra Lee Spencer's Obituary
Sandra Spencer was born January 15, 1943 to Mary and Larry Slunaker in Rolla, North Dakota. She did not meet her dad until she was four years old, as he was overseasduring WWII. Her mom was a judge for Rolette County, and her dad worked as amechanic after the war. Sandi had two sisters, Janey and Beverly, and a brother Kirby. Sandi enjoyed visiting family in Froid, Montana and had fun getting into mischief with her cousin Georgie. Small town life and long winters propelled Sandi into expandingher horizons. After several moves, Sandi settled in the Dallas area. Sandi had five children and spent several years raising children and working in clerical jobs.
When she turned 40, she decided to take some college courses at Richland College. The love of learning ignited a tremendous drive in Sandi. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and in History at UTD, and then went on to earn a Master’s and eventually a Doctorate in English, with an emphasis on Victorian Literature at UNT. She joined the UNT English faculty in 1996 and frequently took large groups of students on study abroad trips to England, Scotland, and the Middle East. Dr. Spencer became the Director of Women’s Studies at UNT, where she worked tirelessly to improve and expand the program. She retired at 72.
Sandi was a go-getter who modeled to her children and grandchildren the transformational impact of an education. Sandi’s achievements in higher education, particularly the work she did in Women’s Studies, gave her a sense of satisfaction and purpose.
Sandi made friends wherever she went and was a born conversationalist, perfect qualities for an avid traveler who was intensely interested in the lives and cultures of the people she met. Travel for Sandi was a life-changing experience, and she wanted to pass down that opportunity to her study abroad students, telling UNT’s InHouse, “Wherever students have gone, they return with a different perspective on where they have been, who they are, and how they fit into a bigger world than the one they left.” Taking students to Tunisia was an especially unforgettable experience. Not only did they study women’s issues and how they differed from women’s issues in other Middle Eastern countries, but they worked to understand and address the stereotypes of Muslim women and to dispel the stereotypes that were formed about Americans.
These were the types of experiences and interactions that drove Sandi’s zeal for travel, education, and mentoring students. At least four of her students were awarded prestigious scholarships to do graduate work abroad from Rotary International. She was continually motivated by her graduate students, describing a student get-together she hosted at her home as “AWESOME! What a lot of brain power, vigor, and dedication in that group. It really spurs me on to do a better job.” She also loved reliving her experiences by journaling and scrapbooking about her trips.
Some might call Sandi a workaholic. In addition to her work at UNT, she had many extra-curricular activities--leading book clubs and giving presentations as a public scholar, serving on the advisory committee of the Castleberry Peace Institute, attending the Dallas Turkish American Women’s Association get-togethers, and participating in the activities of the Denton chapter of the Dickens Fellowship. She was
even honored to lay the wreath and make a brief speech at the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Charles Dickens’ grave in Westminster Abbey on June 9, 2014, the 144th anniversary of his death. Sandi spent her retirement years continuing her passion for traveling abroad. And, like her dad Larry, she had an emerald thumb, winning “Yard of the Month” in her neighborhood several times. She continued to lead book clubs and enjoyed walking daily with friends. She loved to cook, iron sheets, and spoil her dog Annie.
Sandi was preceded in death by her parents Mary and Larry Slunaker. She is survived by her five remarkable and successful children: Renee Blackmon (Rodney), Chuck Liston, Scott Liston (Stacy), Christi Martin (James), Stefani Blackman (Robert); her twelve “smart, good-looking, talented” grandchildren; and her sisters Mary Jane Slunaker, Beverly Mathiason and brother Kirby Slunaker. Service will be held at St.
Lukes Lutheran Church in Richardson on May 16, 2024 at 3:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
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