Lowell Gaylord Spane

Lowell Gaylord Spane passed away on December 15, 2024 at the age of 81 surrounded by his family. Gay was born on October 23 1943 to Juanita Crowe-Spane and Lowell Dwart Spane in Perkins, Mo.

The eldest of 3 children and is survived by sister Janet (Terry) Wessel and brother Randy (Connie) Spane of Chaffee, Mo. At a young age Gay contracted polio after his father got drafted into WW2. Leaving his mother to travel to St. Louis alone to get him the treatment he needed. Gay spent time in an iron lung as a toddler and had a myriad of surgeries to keep him from death or total disability. As a young child he struggled to walk and his mother who could not stand to see her child suffer would insist on carrying him to avoid pain and falling. But her mother, Ella Mae Crowe, saw that this would only make him weaker. So, Grandma Crowe insisted that she “put him down”. He will learn and he will adapt and get stronger and he did. Persisting through young life and never letting his limitations stop him from doing anything he wanted to do.

Gay met Margaret Ann Chamberlain at Maxine’s drive In and they later married on May 23 1964. They had 3 children, Lowell Gaylord Spane II who preceded him in death on June 13, 2018, Jamie Rebecca Baker (Bill Baker husband), and Melissa Marie Spane-Hamilton (William Woodard fiancé). Gay and Margaret were married for 41 years before her death on December 15, 2005 and dad followed her 19 years later. Gay was a talented artist who supported his family by driving big rigs and later owning his own sign business. Gay had a traveling spirit but loved his family more than the road (and the threat of divorce if he didn’t stay home more to help out with the kids) so he sought to be his own boss as he never much liked anyone telling him what to do, except his Margaret Ann. Gay was always a free spirit with little regard to what anyone thought, a generous man who had the attitude “you can’t take it with you”. Gay was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. There simply is not enough words to describe the man who is our dad, brother, grandpa, and friend to many.

Gay has 7 grandchildren. Ashley Vetter, Ben (Sammie) Vetter, Alex (Jessica) Hamilton, Morgan Baker, Ann Baker, Matthew Woodard, and Sarah Woodard. 3 great grandchildren, Kai, Eli, and Amara Hamilton. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, son, and an unborn child and former wife Joanne Eastwood-Spane in June of 2024. Gay’s daughters would like to sincerely thank the Lutheran Home Memory Care unit for the loving care given to our father the last 6 months of his life. Come celebrate dad’s life, love of Jesus and loving people as they are, and general irreverence to following most rules set up by the world or the government.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 from 5:00 until 7:00 PM at the Chaffee General Baptist Church. There will be a 2nd visitation on Thursday December 19th from 11:00 AM until time of service at Chaffee General Baptist Church. Celebration to be held at Chaffee General Baptist Church on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 2:00 PM where he was a member for the last 43 years after Melissa paid her Sunday School teacher a dollar to pray for her father. Interment will follow in the Lorimier Cemetery in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.