- Date Of Birth: September 26, 1949
- Date Of Death: September 4, 2020
- State: Pennsylvania
SpanglerRobert L. “Bob” Spangler, Jr. (September 26, 1949 – September 4, 2020) moved on to the great hunt in the sky after a short battle with dementia. His life was full of adventures and he was lucky to discover his lifelong passions during childhood. From his beginnings in West Philadelphia he found his love of guns and gunsmithing at an early age of 6 years old. While in school, he was captivated not by the lessons, but by the nearby construction workers building a bridge. From this view from the nearby window, Bob was inspired to build and create. As Bob began his career in construction, he joined the United Brothers of Carpenters and Joiners of Philadelphia. The union provided great opportunities for mastering his trade. His talent and work ethic allowed him to quickly work his way up from a laborer to a foreman, to a superintendent with Sardoni-Skanska. Some of Bob’s most well-known jobs included the Clifton Heights K-Mart, the Springfield Square Shopping Center, Philadelphia’s Logan Square, skyscrapers in Bayonne, NJ and Jersey City, NJ, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in Collegeville, PA, and LEED-certified buildings in Camden, NJ. Bob was most proud of his work at the Peddie School Science Center and the new Bishop Shanahan High School. His crowning achievement was the construction of his own home in Embreeville, PA in 1990. When Bob wasn’t working, he spent much of his time hunting. His love of creating and building extended from buildings and homes to gunsmithing, which led to the creation of a business. His hobbies lead to many life-long friends, and numerous trips to far-away places. At first he traveled west to Wyoming and Alaska. Soon after, he set his sights on Africa, traveling to Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Cameroon, and Zanzibar. He occasionally hunted in Missouri, Montana, Maryland, New Jersey, and upstate Pennsylvania, and his own backyard a little closer to home with his dog, Bear. He was happy to share these experiences with friends and family any chance he had through stories and photographs. His carpentry and gunsmithing provided engaging activities throughout his recently, dementia began and sadly Bob had to give up his lifelong interests. However, he found new joy in painting and dancing with residents at Bellingham. He would sometimes go on adventures there, exploring new places on campus and getting into mischief. Bob is survived by his family: siblings Judy Frizell and Steve Spangler (Lisa), daughters Leslie A. Barr (Steve) and Dr. Brooke R. Cropenbaker (Seth), two grandchildren, Stella Barr and Will Cropenbaker, niece Alex Miller (Roger), and nephew Stephen Spangler. And also his longtime special friend, Regina Kennedy-O’
