Toby A. Spanier, a long time resident of El Cerrito, 92, passed away peacefully on November 14, 2012 in Danville, California. Toby was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on July 23, 1920 to George and Ann Abramovich, the youngest of their three children. She met her husband, Edwin Spanier, in St. Paul, MN and they were married in 1942. They subsequently lived in Ann Arbor, Chicago, and Princeton while he pursued his education and career teaching Mathematics before moving to El Cerrito in 1959 when he began a long career as a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Following the dissolution of their marriage in 1969, Toby worked as an administrative assistant for the Richmond Unified School District eventually retiring in 1988. Toby was known as a tireless and dedicated individual who was highly regarded by the staff and students alike. She was a long time member of Temple Beth El in Berkeley.

Toby will be remembered for her love of family and friends. She will be held in cherished memory by her children and their spouses, Rita Wolenik (Bob), Gail Petrek (Jim), and Larry Spanier (Christine); her 10 grandchildren, Marc, David, and Jason Wolenik, Sarah and Hannah Petrek, and Leah, Marissa, Aaron, Evan, and Nathan Spanier; and her 5 great grandchildren, Amber, Joshua, Adam, Ethan, and Asher Wolenik.

Private funeral services will be held at Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito on November 18, 2012. Contributions in Toby’s memory can be made to the Reutlinger Community for Jewish Living in Danville, California.