Teresa Spain

Teresa (Rowley) Spain was born January 2, 1954 in Shattuck, OK to B.F. Rowley and Willa Mae (Patton) Rowley and departed this life April 11, 2011. Teresa is survived by her husband, Eric, and her son, Eric, both of Edmond, and her daughter, Lindsey Spain Koch, and son-in-law, Kevin Koch, and grandson, Ryan Koch of Oklahoma City, as well as her mother, Willa Mae Rowley, of Mustang, a brother Doug Rowley and sister-in-law Danelle of Carrollton, TX, and a sister-in-law Judy Rowley of Enid. Teresa is additionally survived by nieces, a nephew, countless friends, former and current students. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. George Rowley of Ringwood and Mr. and Mrs. M.L. Patton of Enid; as well as her father, B.F. Rowley of Mustang and her brother, Denver Rowley of Enid. Teresa was a 1972 graduate and valedictorian of Mustang High School and in 1976 graduated summa cum laude from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She began her teaching career at Western Heights Junior High in 1976 and was later named Teacher of the Year in 1986, just as her family was preparing to move to Philadelphia, PA. While in Pennsylvania, Teresa was a stay at home mother and homemaker. The family then moved back to Oklahoma the following year and by 1992, she found her way back to teaching, this time at Edmond Central Mid-High. Teresa moved again in 1993 to Overland Park, KS with her family and was a pharmacy technician at Bruce Smith Drug. Finally, the Spains moved back to Edmond in 1995 and Teresa returned to her beloved teaching profession at Edmond Memorial High School where she had been teaching ever since. She was named Teacher of the Year a second time in 1997 and when asked why she became a teacher, she replied,"I was concerned with injustice and helping mankind. I marvel at how long it took me to realize that teaching was the perfect vocation for me. I cope with injustice everyday. Some of my students appear in ragged hand-me-down clothes and eat free lunches, while others wear designer clothes and complain about the cafeteria fare. Yet, they all receive the same educational opportunities. I help mankind by striving to educate teenagers in their national language and by freeing them from the bonds of ignorance that will damn them to a life of frustration and second-best". Teresa believed teaching was the richest profession of all. Teresa was an avid OU Sooner fan who loved reading, politics, and spending time with her family, especially her grandson, Ryan. Teresa Spain's memorial service will be held Saturday, April 16th at First Christian Church, Edmond at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Teresa Spain please visit our Sympathy Store.