Robin Spence, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend, was taken from us too soon at the age of 53. Yet her legacy of love, joy, and unwavering faith remains deeply etched in the lives she touched.

Born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, Robin remained rooted in the community she loved, touching the lives of many. She graduated from Soquel High School in 1988. After being a full time mother of four, Robin held many jobs. Over the years she worked as a teacher’s aid and volleyball coach at Shoreline Middle School and more recently worked in property management. Out of every job she held, her favorite role was being a stay-at-home mom. She poured herself into her children’s lives with joy and devotion, and her greatest dream was to one day retire and be a full-time grandma.

Above all, Robin’s greatest joy came from her family. She was an adoring “Meemaw” to six grandchildren who were the delight of her life. She and her husband, Orion Omar Spence, shared 35 years of marriage. As they faced life’s challenges together, they held tightly to their faith and to each other—a bond strengthened by love, endurance, and the music that filled their lives. Robin and Omar sang together in a band for many years, a reflection of her lifelong passion for music. Whether harmonizing with her sister Gina, singing praises in church, or softly singing “Jesus Loves Me” while snuggling her grandchildren, Robin’s beautiful voice filled the lives of those around her and will echo in our hearts forever.

Robin was a woman of deep and abiding faith. As a devoted follower of Jesus Christ, she lived her life grounded in the hope and peace that comes from knowing Him. In various jobs throughout her life, she often expressed a longing to share her faith more freely, a reflection of how deeply it shaped her heart and purpose. Her family takes great comfort in the promise of the gospel—that while we were still sinners, Jesus Christ died for us, bearing the weight of our sin on the cross, and resurrecting to new life, so that we might be forgiven, restored, and made new, not by our own works or goodness, but by His grace, mercy, and love. Robin is now home in heaven, worshiping her Savior face to face, and her family rejoices in the certainty that they will one day be reunited with her. Robin’s life pointed others to this hope, and her legacy invites all who mourn to find comfort in the One who conquered death.

Robin is survived by her loving husband, Omar; her parents, Mark and Terry Quolas; her sister, Gina; her four children, Nicolas, Isabella, Eliana, and Elijah; and her six cherished grandchildren. She is also survived by many beloved cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and her two loyal dogs, Max and Makodo.

A celebration of life service will be held on June 14 at 11:00 a.m. at Twin Lakes Church in Aptos. A continued celebration of Robin’s life will follow in Corralitos; details will be available at the service. If you'd like to support Robin’s family during this time, her caring friends have created a GoFundMe in her honor (bit.ly/honor-robin). In lieu of flowers or donations, Robin would have simply invited you to church. Her family welcomes you to join them every Sunday at Gospel Community Church in Santa Cruz, where she loved to worship her Savior.

Memorial Keepers (1)

Juan Martinez, Jr.