Freddie Spellacy, founder of city's Neighborhood Cluster Associations, dies at age of 84
Freddie Spellacy, San Bernardino real estate figure and founder of the city's network of Neighborhood Cluster Associations, died Tuesday morning of natural causes after battling dementia. She was 84.
"She was a focused, driven business woman. She built up a successful business in San Bernardino with my father," her son John said.
The Spellacy familty did a lot of traveling, John reminisced. A business-related trip to Washington, D.C. was also an opportunity to take the family to the nation's capital. In 1972, Freddie took the "entire clan" of some 30 people to celebrate Christmas in Hawaii.
John is the oldest of three children Spellacy had with her husband Jim. She had another three children from a previous marriage. Jim had another four children.
"It was a his, hers and ours situation," John said.
Spellacy co-founded Spellacy & Associates with her husband in 1976. She led the way in the creation of the Neighborhood Cluster Associations in the 1990s.
"She was always trying to improve the city. That was her passion," John said.
A 1997 article in The Sun reported that Spellacy kept a map of San Bernardino divided into 40 sections, each boundary marking the territory of a different neighborhood association. The reporter, Greg Patton, characterized each association as a battalion fighting "against blight, crime, drugs and - maybe above all else - apathy."
'I'm a gung-ho person for underdogs and I think San Bernardino is an underdog now," Spellacy said in that article. "It didn't used to be. People started taking potshots at us about 10 years ago and they haven't quit.''
Spellacy came to San Bernardino during World War 2 to work as clerk and typist at Norton Air Force Base.
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Andrew Edwards. E-mail Andrew here.
I did no know Freddie personaly , but John and his family are dear friends. When Freddie came into the room, I knew I was in the presence of a strong person and the aura was great. Her son John being the great guy he is, is a credit to his mother raising him to be the man he is. I am honored to have crossed their paths in some way. Thank you Freddie for just being you! God Bless you and your family.
Freddie was a powerhouse of a _person_ - male, or female, there were few who could match her, even in later years.
It was my honor to be tapped for president of the local NCA by none other than Freddie herself.
Throughout her final years Freddie made no bones about her adamant stance regarding the need to keep the Neighborhood Cluster Association out of City Hall.
Now all eyes will be upon City Hall to see if Freddie's wishes are respected, as she so vocally insisted - even in a televised award presentation earlier this year, or so - or, will the unthinkable happen?
How is Nick Gonzales, anyway?
My Deepest Condolences to The Spellacy Family - and the City of San Bernardino - we've lost a true San Bernardino treasure...
"Just Another Alias",
As a Neighborhood Association President I find it distasteful that in remembering Freddie as the wonderful woman she, was you have to make a comment about Nick Gonzalez. That was really classy.
Freddie, with fond memories and gratitude for the awesome job that you did, we will miss you.
@OMG
Just keepin' it real in Freddie's honor.
It's a fact she didn't want to see her creation taken from the private sector and installed in City Hall.
As a NCA president, (if you've been around long enough to know - and I think you have), you'll recall Nick being strong on moving NCA from private to public.
Maybe I should wait 6 weeks, in Freddie's honor?
Do you really think Freddie appreciated waiting around? She was the personification of "strike while the iron is hot".
Right now, this is hot.
Right now, I am letting it be know there are those of us who will vocally strive toward respecting Freddie's wishes now, after her unfortunate demise.
I am 99% you are on the same of the issue as me - just upset I said it right here, right now. :-)
Peace.
Freddie was a dear friend. I knew her professionally and personally for 25 years. Many people didn't know her as a friend. To many, she was their diligent realtor, the ambitious founder of the NCA or a dutiful church member. Above all of that, she was a wonderful, sweet, kind, and caring person who loved her family, her church and her community. We spent time laughing about silly things and talking about some of the less important stuff like where we would have lunch and would lunch become dinner because she was so busy with some of the larger things. She was very special to me and I will miss her and the less busy times we spent together just sharing the small stuff. Rest in peace, my friend.
Freddie was a dear friend. I knew her professionally and personally for 25 years. Many people didn't know her as a friend. To many, she was their diligent realtor, the ambitious founder of the NCA or a dutiful church member. Above all of that, she was a wonderful, sweet, kind, and caring person who loved her family, her church and her community. We spent time laughing about silly things and talking about some of the less important stuff like where we would have lunch and would lunch become dinner because she was so busy with some of the larger things. She was very special to me and I will miss her and the less busy times we spent together just sharing the small stuff. Rest in peace, my friend.
"Just Another Alias",
There is a time and place for everything. This is not the time and this is not the place. If you feel strongly about this issue then you should bring it up at the President's Meeting on November 7th. That is where NCA business should be discussed. Not on a blog. Don't forget to contact the NCA Board to put it on the agenda.
Since Freddie is deserving of space without controversy - even if that controversy be about seeing to it that "her baby" isn't treated in a way that would be most disrespectful of her very clearly stated wishes - let's just focus on showing our respects for her here - and dealing with the rest at the usual meeting.
Continuing Your Work, Freddie, Just As You'd Want It, Peace Eternal, Rest Divine, Blessings Well-Deserved.