Lasting Memories

Michael David Spafford
Jan. 21, 1956-Aug. 30, 2020
San Rafael, California
Submitted by Marcy Spafford

Michael was born in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to Nancy Curtiss Wilcox Spafford and Calvin William Spafford III. He lived there, where his father was stationed in the Navy, until the family moved to Los Altos, CA when he was 3 and he lived in California thereafter. As the family prepared to move to a new house in Woodside, it snowed on Michael’s sixth birthday in 1962. He spent a glorious day playing in the snow, assuming it was his birthday gift and waited every year thereafter for the snow to come on his birthday. Michael spent his summers with his grandparents, first in Lakeport, Clear Lake and then Homewood, Lake Tahoe. His grandfather taught him how to fish, and fishing became one of his favorite pastimes. He loved the outdoors, camping, geology, archeology, rocks, creek digging for antique bottles and always talked about becoming a forest ranger ‘when he grew up’. Michael attended Woodside Elementary School from Kindergarten through Eighth grade, then Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley for high school. Michael began playing soccer with AYSO when he was 6 years old. He was a star in the AYSO soccer program for many years. He was naturally right-handed yet could kick best with his left, an attribute many cannot do. He also displayed his soccer skills on the Woodside Priory School soccer team and graduated from the Woodside Priory School in 1974 with many lifelong friends. He received a soccer scholarship to attend Chico State University but stopped playing soccer his sophomore year to focus on his studies in Geology. He went on to graduate with a BS in Geology from Chico State University in 1978. Michael worked as a Geologist at Chevron for his entire professional career, over 34 years beginning right out of college. His true passions, though, were his children, Kaila and Miles. His life centered around his children and he enjoyed supporting them in sports and school activities as well as taking them on family trips and spoiling them however possible. Michael had the biggest heart. He was so curious to get to know every person that he met and was always willing to offer a lending hand to strangers in any way he could. He was also usually the life of the party and always kept everyone laughing! He loved Creedence Clearwater, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, and went to many rock concerts, including Sundays at Frost Amphitheatre in the early 70’s. Although he left us before his time, we feel he did live his life to the fullest. He died of health complications in San Francisco at the young age of 64. Michael is survived by the two loves of his life - his daughter Kaila Spafford Brereton (Kevin) and Miles Spafford (Haley). He is also survived by his older sister Marcy Spafford, his younger sister Cathy Stienstra and his younger brother Peter Spafford, along with his grandson Oliver Brereton and former spouse and friend Ann Alexander Spafford; nieces Jennifer Haber, Marlena Jacobson, Shannon Powell, Josselyn Hazen, Michelle Spafford and nephews Christopher Spafford, Daniel Stienstra and Peter Spafford Jr. He is predeceased by his mother Nancy and his father Calvin.