Yolo-Placer County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....SPENCER-BENTLEY , Gloria  June 1 2004
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Peggy B. Perazzo pbperazzo@comcast.net July 7, 2004, 5:57 pm

"Winters Express," Thursday, June 24, 2004
Gloria Spencer-Bentley

Gloria Spencer-Bentley of Winters passed away at home on June 1, 2004 after
battling ovarian cancer for just over two years.  Her husband, Bill Bentley, was
at her side.  Born in Woodland on June 6, 1941, and a former student in the
Woodland school system, she was 63 years old.

Ms. Spencer-Bentley wove a life of art, gardening and friends.  Whether it was
weaving an intricate rug or fabric on her loom, re-creating Giverney in her
garden, or shearing a sheep, Gloria Spencer-Bentley did it masterfully.  Her
friends describe her as "an artistic soul" and "the salt of the earth," someone
who could always be counted upon.

She was an accomplished fiber artist, exhibiting her award-winning work in many
galleries throughout Northern California.  Most recently, she worked in Russian
punch-needle embroidery (Igolochkoy), creating intricate tapestries with silk
and metallic threads.  These whimsical, narrative pieces were inspired by her
dreams, stories and many adventures.

Ms. Spencer-Bentley learned to weave in the late 1960s, and spent the rest of
her life exploring many facets of fiber art.  She was a master spinner and an
expert in natural dyes.  Living in Loomis in the 1970s, she raised black sheep,
prized among weavers for their finely textured, naturally colored fleeces.

Friends and family recalled her unique gift for seeing beauty in everyday
objects of nature.  The entry table in her home exhibited a changing collection
of "found objects," which might include a hummingbird's nest from her garden, a
shard of mahogany obsidian from the family ranch, or a natural wreath of thorns
found in the Mojave Desert.  Friends say she saw treasure in what others
couldn't see, and put her hand to it so they could see it, too.

Ms. Spencer-Bentley was deeply interested in Native American art and culture, an
affinity that began in childhood.  In the 1970s, she worked for Pacific Western
Traders in Folsom, where she met many prominent Native American artists and
craftspeople.  Their work informed her own.

An intrepid traveler, she gathered inspiration for her art and gardens from the
people and places she visited.  A photograph from the mid-1970s shows her
astride a camel at the Great Pyramids of Egypt, a trip that also took her to
Turkey and Afghanistan prior to the Soviet invasion.  She traveled extensively
throughout Mexico, the American Southwest, and Europe, where she and her husband
traveled the back roads of Germany and Austria.  Last year, she visited Paris
and the south of France between chemotherapy treatments.  Her husband describes
her last trip to the American Southwest as an "art pilgrimage," where she
visited Native American weavers, basketmakers, jewelers and other artists.

A prolific gardener, Ms. Spencer-Bentley spent many hours tending her antique
roses and vegetables.  The gardens at her Winters home are a testimony to her
eclectic style, combining antique climbing roses, grasses and unusual cultivars.
 Over her lifetime, Ms. Spencer-Bentley enjoyed a wide circle of friends,
including artists and musicians.

Ms. Spencer-Bentley is survived by her husband, Bill Bentley of Winters; mother,
Jane Spencer of Woodland; daughters Wendy Heaton of Sacramento and Amy Wilson of
Cool; sisters Sandy Hafley of Woodland and Kathy Farster of Marysville.

A memorial celebration will be held later this summer.  Remembrances can be made
to any local hospice.


Additional Comments:
Submitted with the permission of the "Winters Express," 312 Railroad Ave.,
Winters, CA 95694.

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