Snowline’s Spangler retiring

CAMERON PARK — For the last 23 1/2 years, Sharon Spangler has enjoyed talking with many customers and working with many people walking into the Snowline Hospice Thrift stores in El Dorado County.

Spangler is retiring on Wednesday, Nov. 21, and she will cherish those memories.

Prior to working for Snowline, the 64-year-old Spangler ran a major chain department store in Southern California and sold insurance.

She felt a change of careers and relocating were needed.

“I wanted to do something different,” explained Spangler. “I had worked with volunteers before. I had quite a bit of experience in retail, so the combination of the two at the Snowline Hospice Thrift Store was good.”

Spangler started working for Snowline Hospice Thrift stores in June 1989, opening the first thrift store on Green Valley Road in Placerville.

Spangler went on to manage the stores in Cameron Park — one at 2650 Cameron Park Drive, and one in Burke Junction at 3300 Coach Lane. The Cameron Park Drive store has been opened for the last two years.

Setting up first store

The Snowline stores have grown over the years.

When the Placerville store opened its doors Spangler took the challenge.

“That was a tiny shop. When the Snowline Hospice board of directors hired me, they asked me if I could set up a store. I had quite a bit of experience in retail design, commercial design and residential design,” Spangler said.

She recruited volunteers to work at the Placerville store. Today she has 90 volunteers.

In the early 1990s, she approached the board about opening a new facility in Burke Junction and got approval.

“It was a little bit selfish because I lived in Shingle Springs, so I wanted another store but closer,” recalled Spangler. ”Some of those people have been with me the whole time.”

Nancy Walker-Meagher, director of human resources for Snowline Hospice, said in a press release that Spangler has been “dedicated” to Snowline during her years of service.

Countless contributions

“She has made countless contributions to growing retail operations,” Walker-Meagher said.

“Sharon will be missed by the dedicated Cameron Park volunteers, her staff and so many of us who she welcomed as we started our employment with Snowline,” Walker-Meagher said.

“This job is physically demanding,” Spangler said. “The company has grown so much with our recycling center at each thrift store. We are always doing different events.”

Spangler is looking forward to spending a lot of time with her grandchildren and traveling.

She has plenty of activities planned, including more cooking, reorganizing her house and taking yoga classes.

But first, she’s going to tackle one of her favorite hobbies — reading.

“I like to read and I’m too tired to read at night,” Spangler said. Now she will have the time and energy.

Travel destinations are varied.

“I would like to go to Europe. My husband (Larry) has never been to Hawaii and I have. I would like for us to make a trip there. I want to get into the car next spring, take my little dog and just drive around the United States and not have a time to be back. For me it’s going to be real treat just to go someplace and not to have to come home,” Spangler said.

Spangler will also spend more time with her 87-year old mother Cassie, who is also a volunteer for the stores.

“She said she’s not retiring,” Spangler said.

Contact Mike Bush at 530-344-5079 or mbush@mtdemocrat.net. Follow @MBushMtDemo on Twitter. 

Mike Bush

Mike Bush has been working at the Mountain Democrat since August 2011. Mike is the Sports Writer and Features Writer.

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