December, 2009
SANTA ROSA –In the video, Bob Spooner sits in a comfortable
chair at his beloved Maine vacation
home and reminisces about his life. His
speech is slow and deliberate as he recalls his
childhood, marriage, service in World War II,
graduation with honors from Yale and his inventions
that were far ahead of their time. Family
photos of his childhood, military service, wife
and children flash on the screen as he talks.
You may watch the video online at a site
that Web designer Jamie Spooner created to
help other caregivers through the experience of
caring for a loved one: www.ICareVillage.com.
Jamie was forced to deal with her father’s
final illness from across the country. There were
many trips back and forth and decisions to be
made in the midst of anxiety.
After a week in the hospital, with his life in
the balance, says Jamie, “there was this ‘aha!’
moment—wow, how does all this work? The
discharge nurse called and said, ‘He’s leaving
tomorrow, where does he go?’ And then there
was Medicare—how does Medicare work? And
all the other decisions. Never mind the emotions,
and that you’re already busy in your own
life—how do you handle somebody else’s life
when they’re 2,000 miles away?”
Some research convinced her that, although
there was a wealth of online information for caregivers,
none of the sites offered the kind of heartfelt
and personalized help that Jamie sought.
Out of these observations arose a business, I
Care Village, and its Web site. “It’s really a
passion project,” says Jamie, but one that she
hopes will become self supporting.
“Other sites have information, articles,
topics. But all of our content is original, mostly
written by us or for us.”
Jamie is president and founder of
Planeteria.com, a Santa Rosa Web site design
and development company. She has seven years
as a design program manager at Microsoft
under her belt, as well as a background in
marketing products and services. She’s a
graduate of Smith College.
The brand new site is in many ways a
tribute to Jamie’s father, and he is front and
center on the home page.
“My father and I were very close, very
alike”says Jamie. “He was an entrepreneur. He
was exceptional, with a generous spirit,
creative, a visionary. He didn’t come from a lot
of money; he went to Yale on the G.I. bill.”
Bob Spooner did well for his family of three
daughters, sending them to private schools and
college at Smith and Wellesley. He holds the
patent on the meat-slicing machine technology
that delis still use today. He patented a
videotape rental device that people could access
with a credit card—the forerunner of DVD
rental units in supermarkets today.
After retirement at age 75, he continued to
make contributions, such as writing a software
program to help teach people to sail.
“He loved technology and so wanted to
contribute in a way he knew how. His mind
was always active,” says Jamie.
ICareVillage.com will offer two levels of
membership to caregivers—one free and one
with an annual fee. By partnering with
organizations such as Seattle Arthritis
Foundation and the Delta Society in Seattle, the
site is able to offer original articles by experts in
the field of aging. Paying members have access
to experts they can talk to directly.
But ICareVillage.com is more than a
resource site for caregivers. Jamie believes
fiercely that elders in our society deserve to be
heard and honored. The site will become a
repository of videos and stories from elders,
and a documentary film, The Wisdom of Elders
Across America, is in the works.
Robert J. Spooner passed away in September
at
the age of 84. Here are excerpts from Jamie
Spooner’s eulogy for her father:
“My father was a man of few words but
with much to say. Some remember his humor,
that twinkle in his eyes as he delivered a joke.
Some remember his soft-spoken words of
wisdom, his soulful take on life. Some remember
his focused and intense drive to solve creative
problems in his 60+ years in the work force.
Some remember his kindness and generosity.
His desire to teach. Others remember his love of
family, travel and frequent trips to Maine. He
touched many people in many places. . . . He
was part of the great generation.”
“He was a mortar gunner in the 20th
Armored Division of the United States Army.
Most people do not know that he was in the
first troop (and third vehicle) to enter and
liberate the Dachau concentration camp on
April 29, 1945.”
“Because of the GI bill, my father was able
to go to Yale University, with focus on engineering,
and he graduated with honors.”
“He was a good father and let us make our
own decisions and our own mistakes.
When I
was 18, I was challenged to make a decision
between two colleges as the registration was
due postmarked for the following day; and so
my father wrote out two checks for two
different colleges, handed them to me and said,
‘When you make your choice, tear up the one
you do not want to go to,’ and so we sat in the
car in a parking lot outside a mailbox for five
hours as I deliberated over this huge life choice.”
“He was a wonderful husband and adored
my mother. He was a good companion, friend
and partner. He loved to make my mother laugh
and they truly enjoyed each other. My father
was a kind man . . . gentle in his life, gentle in
his politics and never pushy about his agenda.”
“My father may have died from heart
disease but it was not due to lack of heart.”
Check out ICareVillage.com for more stories and
Videos about elders.
