Mary V. (Jackson) Spencer

Mary (“Molly”) Jackson Spencer, 93, passed away on April 27, 2024 at Masonic Village, Sewickley after a long illness. Molly was born in Rupert, WV to Dr. Carl C. and  Mrs. Lela (Hoag) Jackson.  Molly and her four siblings grew up in Rainelle, WV where Dr. Jackson maintained his practice.  

Molly graduated from Rainelle High School  in 1948 and often spoke fondly of  friends and the mischief she spearheaded . Encouraged by her father to enter the medical field, Molly attended Denison University in Granville. OH, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond in 1952.

On a visit home from Richmond she encountered fellow Rainelle graduate, Charles (“Charlie”) Spencer, at a lunch counter in the local drug store. The two had never dated or been more than acquaintances. Yet, as they told it, when they saw each other that afternoon, lightening struck, they both went weak in the knees, and  the rest of the world fell away. 

The two eloped short months after Molly graduated from nursing school, and moved to Clifton Forge, VA where Charlie worked in the C&O Railroad shops. After the birth of their daughter, Sally Ann, in 1954, they followed the railroad to Huntington, WV. 

Roughly a year into their time in Huntington, Molly was recruited to help establish a nursing program at Marshall University. Not long out of school herself, Molly enthusiastically embraced the challenge of teaching freshmen in the earliest years of the Marshall program. She wholeheartedly loved her job and her students, joking that she spent nights learning information she had to teach the next day. 

In 1966, Molly left Marshall when Charlie was promoted to a position at B&O headquarters in Baltimore, MD.  Almost immediately, Molly was offered a job as Director of Nursing at a private senior living facility, College Manor, in Lutherville, MD. At about the same time, she enrolled in  an evening program at the University of Maryland in pursuit of a masters degree in nursing. This was especially noteworthy given that from the moment she was eligible to drive, Molly refused categorically even to apply for a permit. She said that she knew her limits and that driving fell well beyond them. Because Charlie traveled extensively for work, Molly was forced to rely on the vicissitudes of public transportation. Traveling by bus from the suburbs to Baltimore City and back at night, most times with her daughter in tow,  was a fraught adventure .

Following their retirement, Molly and Charlie relocated to Sewickley, PA to be near their daughter and  grandchildren. They renovated a house on Thorn Street and began what Molly described as the happiest years of her life. “Gammy,” as the grandchildren called her, and Charlie “PawPaw” were the consummate grandparents. They spent countless hours playing with, listening to, and supporting the grandchildren in all of their many endeavors, including a range of sports. Molly was a fan favorite, cheering from the QVRA and Sewickley Academy bleachers at scores of little league, soccer, and lacrosse games. She considered it a mark of honor to have been publicly reprimanded at a little league game and, by implication, in a follow up flyer to parents, for attempting to teach an umpire the rules of a game about which she, admittedly, knew little. Molly had a soft heart but a resolute  will. She was confident that she knew best about most things and was never shy about saying so.

When she wasn’t with the grandchildren, Molly played bridge  - sometimes in as many as three three clubs  a week  - at the Edgeworth Club or in club members ’ homes. She also made time to teach kindergarten Sunday School classes, scout local auctions, lunch with friends, and read voraciously. Those who knew her enjoyed her southern accent, her Appalachian turns of phrase, and her often unfiltered sense of humor. Though she was not an  accomplished cook, her grandchildren will always remember “helping” her make southern chicken and dumplings and her prowess as a pie maker. Her pecan, apple, and butterscotch pies were staples at every holiday celebration.

Molly was preceded in death by her parents, and siblings, Patricia Long of Buffalo, NY, Carl C. Jackson, Jr. of Rainelle, and Dolores Gornik of Cleveland, OH. Charlie, to whom she was married for more than sixty - one years, died in 2013. 

Those who miss her deeply include her daughter, Sally Nimick (Malcolm) of Edgeworth, PA, her grandchildren, Virginia Jackson Elliott (Brent) of Leetsdale, PA, Christian Spencer Nimick (Susan) of Dallas, TX, and Malcolm Charles Nimick of Richmond, VA. Molly also leaves two devoted great-grandchildren, Catherine Turner (“Charley”) Elliott, and Henry Griggs Elliott. Her youngest sister, Charlotte Sue Lerch (Terry), lives in Pinehurst, SC.

A lifelong member of the Baptist church, Molly had a firm faith and never doubted where she would spend eternity. This summer, her family  will gather for graveside service where she will be laid to rest beside Charlie, the person she loved most, in the place they loved most and always considered home - Greenbrier County in the West Virginia hills.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the food pantry at the First Baptist Church of Rainelle, 345 Seventh Street ,Rainelle,  WV 25962. Arrangements entrusted to R.D. Copeland Funeral Home, Irvine Chapel, Sewickley, PA.