Marian Lois Spanke, age 87, a resident of Tulsa, OK, since 1948, passed away on Saturday, April 25, 2020 from the COVID-19 virus. She was born Marian L. Bardgett on October 29, 1932 in St. Louis, MO.

Beloved wife of the late Walter Spanke for 46 years, loving mother of Ron (Jutta) Spanke of Wheaton, IL, and Geralyn Walters of Tulsa, OK. She was preceded in death by her brothers Ralph Bardgett of Warrensburg, MO; Bill Bardgett of Casper, WY; and Donald Bardgett of Kansas City, MO. Grandmother of Jeff Davis, Katherine Davis and the late Chris Davis and the late Christian Spanke, and great-grandmother of Hannah Davis, fond sister-in law, aunt, great-aunt, cousin, and friend of many.

After early years in St. Louis during the depression, her family moved to Chicago, IL for her grade school years, New York City for her junior high years, and to Tulsa, OK for her high school years, graduating from Marquette High School. During childhood, Marian suffered from polio, leaving her with a compromised ability to walk during the later years of life. Marian attended nursing school at St. John's Hospital school of nursing in Tulsa and graduated with her Registered Nurse diploma in 1953. She worked as a Registered Nurse at St. Johns Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, and Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa.

She married Walter Spanke in Tulsa in 1957. She was a member of St. Pius X Catholic Church in Tulsa since 1957 where she sang in the choir, served as a Eucharistic minister and as a lector for decades. She volunteered for many years for Neighbor-for-Neighbor, a nonprofit social agency in Tulsa, coordinating food banks and assisting with medical evaluations. In semi-retirement, she continued to work as office staff at the Eastside YMCA. She spent the final five years of her life living at Franciscan Villa assisted living community in Broken Arrow, OK where she attended daily mass and led the 4:00 rosary daily. She was a lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs and enjoyed crossword puzzles and eating out with family.

Viewing 12-8pm, Sunday, May 3rd, at Moore's Southlawn Chapel, 9350 E. 51st Street, Tulsa. Funeral services will be held on Monday, May 4th at 11:00 AM, with Fr. Richard Bradley officiating. Physical attendance is limited to immediate family only, but services will be streamed on the moorefuneral.com website. A graveside service will follow the funeral with interment at Floral Haven Cemetery, Tulsa, OK.