C. Robert "Bob" Spedden

C. Robert “Bob” Spedden, 83, of Cambridge, passed away on Monday, February 5, 2018 after several months of failing health.  The son of the late Charles D. Spedden and Anne Henry Spedden, Bob was born on December 27, 1934.  Much of his childhood was spent on the family farm at Todd Point with his grandparents, Thomas Dexter and May Beckwith Spedden.

After graduating from Cambridge High School in 1952, Bob attended Salisbury State Teachers College  and earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1956.  While attending college he met and fell in love with Donna Lee Jones, of Bishops Head, and the couple were married 4 days after graduation.  They moved to the Washington, DC metropolitan area where he taught math for 1 year.  Mr. Spedden went to work for Ford Motor Company for 11 years starting in the mail room and worked his way up the corporate ladder.  In 1968, the couple returned to Cambridge as Bob opened Bob Spedden Ford and sold the dealership 2 years later.  Bob started his real estate career in 1970 as a salesperson with Dashiell Realtors and a few years later opened Dorchester Realtors, Inc. with partner, Mace Tolley.  By 1975, he launched his own company on Sunburst Highway known as Spedden & Associates and became a Century 21 franchise owner in the 1980’s.  His daughter, Sharon, joined the family business in June 1988.  Century 21 Spedden & Associates was sold to Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., in 1999 and Mr. Spedden remained as an Associate Broker and mentor to many agents in the business.  He joined his daughter with the opening of Sharon Real Estate, PC as an Associate Broker and remained active for several years.

He enjoyed hunting, golfing, fishing, crabbing, vegetable gardening and especially flying his Cessna 182 airplane.  His real passion was the revitalization of Cambridge.  He served the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce as President, Cambridge Yacht Club Board of Governors, First National Bank Advisory Board, Dorchester Board of Realtors as President, and Director for the Maryland Association of Realtors.  Mr. Spedden founded Committee 100 which spawned such revitalization efforts as the Dorchester County Visitors Center, adjacent children’s playground, Sailwind’s Park and Governor’s Hall, Richardson Maritime Museum, Choptank River Lighthouse, downtown Harriett Tubman Museum, and the Dorchester Skipjack Committee - Nathan of Dorchester.  He also served as the 1st President of Sailwinds Park Incorporated.  His vision for economic development of Dorchester County also included the re-development of the former Eastern Shore State Hospital property into today’s Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa & Marina.

Mr. Spedden is survived by his wife Donna, daughter Sharon Spedden (fiancé Ken Tighe), granddaughter Sydney A. Johnson (fiance’ Brent B. Cohee), a great grandson Alex Spedden Cohee all of Cambridge.  He is also survived by a brother, Douglas Ladd Spedden of Florida.  Besides his parents, he is preceded in death by a son, Charles Robert “C.R.” Spedden, Jr., and a sister Julie A. Thomas.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Martin J. Mullaney, George Herbert “Herb” Robinson III, Rev. A. Delmer Willey, Jr., Hubert H. Wright IV, Jonathan “Jonny” Johnston, and James “Jamie” Nichols.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 2pm at Thomas Funeral Home, P.A. in Cambridge with Rev. David J. Wooten, Jr. officiating.  Family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be me to the following:  Dorchester Skipjack Committee – P.O. Box 1224, Cambridge, MD  21613; Richardson Maritime Museum – P.O. Box 1198, Cambridge, MD  21613; or Cambridge Lighthouse Foundation – PO Box 1235, Cambridge, MD  21613.