Arthur Spada

Arthur Spada was born in Portland, Oregon, on February 24, 1926, and passed away peacefully at home in his sleep on November 28, 2020.  He was the fifth of six children born to Cosmo and Angiolina Spada.  He attended Grant High School in Portland.

Arthur’s career in farming began with working on the family farm in Parkrose.  He was active in 4H and earned numerous ribbons.

Arthur joined the Army and served in Japan at the end of WWII.  Upon honorable discharge from the service in November 1946, he returned to farming in Parkrose and married Mary Sugura on April 4, 1948.  They had 67 years together until Mary died in 2015.

Arthur and his brother Richard formed a partnership in 1958, combining their farming operations in northeast Portland.  In 1965, they relocated to the Willamette Valley.    In St. Paul, Oregon, A&R Spada Farms grew a variety of vegetables including potatoes for potato chip producers.  They began raising nursery stock which expanded greatly in the 70s, and is the mainstay today.  Following Richard’s death in 2000, his son Angelo became Arthur’s partner.

Arthur was an active and energetic 94 year old farmer enjoying his newest venture of raising hazelnuts in Canby, Oregon, where he currently had resided.   He loved taking on major land improvement projects and directing them from the seats of his CAT D7 and John Deere 4020 tractor.  The wide variety of crops grown throughout his many decades of farming included beans, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet corn, potatoes, hay, grass seed, clover, wheat, nursery stock and the hazelnuts.

Memberships included:  Life-long member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Oregon Association of Nurseries since 1957, WILCO Farmers Co-op since 1965, Gardeners and Ranchers Association, Washington Canners Coop, Oregon Wheat Growers League, Oregon Farm Bureau, St. Therese Catholic Church, Portland, and St. Patricks Catholic Church, Canby.

Arthur is survived by his daughter Barbara (Ron) Easley, 4 step-granddaughters:  Courtney (JT), Amy (Ian), Megan (Steve), and Emily (Sean), and 3 great grandchildren (Rocco, Milo, and Maeve), sister-in-law Peg Spada, numerous nieces and nephews, and family too numerous to mention.    He was predeceased by his wife Mary, 3 brothers (Nick, Frank and Richard) and two sisters (Jennie Casale and Rose Garre).

A meticulous steward of the land, Dad left the world better than he found it and always gave the best he had with honor and integrity.

Interment is at Rose City Cemetery, Portland.  Due to Covid restrictions there will be no formal service at this time, but a Celebration of Life will be held later when safe to do so. Remembrances may be made to:

Oregon Nurseries Foundation Scholarship Fund, 29751 SW Town Center Loop West, Wilsonville, Oregon  97070

St. Patrick’s Church, 498 NW 9th Avenue, Canby, OR  97013.

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