Spence and Margaret Hogg
Robert Spencer "Spence" Hogg, son of John Alexander and Frances Beatrice (Nutter) Hogg, was born in 1922, in Vancouver, Washington and was raised there. Spence was the youngest son, and his memories of his younger years include many adventures with his older brothers Dick and Lad.
Spence attended Arnada Grade School, Shumway Junior High, and Vancouver High School, graduating in 1940. As a child, Spence's first job was delivering hand bills for the local grocer. He also picked strawberries and raspberries. His main sources of spending money when growing up were his paper routes with the Portland Telegram and the Vancouver Columbian.
After graduating from high school, Spence worked for a short time for the Del Monte Cannery, then got his first technical job, working in the analytics laboratory of the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa).
In 1941, Spence enrolled in the Chemical Engineering program at the University of Washington, paying his tuition and expenses from his saving from working at Alcoa. On December 7, 1941, Spence's freshman year at the U of W, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and the United States entered World War II. To be able to continue his education, Spence joined the Army Reserves, passing the test for entrance to the Army Air Corp cadet pilot training. This maneuver bought him only a year, as in the spring of his sophomore year, he received orders to report for active duty. Spence served as a pilot during the entire war, until December 1945, when he was discharged and returned to the University of Washington to continue his education. (Spence's War Years)
Spence graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1948. After working for General Electric for a short time, he returned to the University for graduate studies, receiving his M.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1950. Spence first worked for California Research Company (later Chevron Research) from 1950-1966, then joined Bechtel where he worked until retirement in 1986. In both companies, his main focus was process design and control, and he spent a great deal of time in the field, on troubleshooting assignments and analyzing plant operations.
After retirement, Spence initially took on some consulting projects for Bechtel, but now is enjoying the leisure of retirement.
Margaret Aja was born in 1926 in Merced Falls, California, the forth of nine children born to Joseph and Eugenia Aja, who immigrated from Spain. Margaret attended schools in Merced Falls, and graduated from Livingston High School in 1944. Margaret worked for Bank of America in Livingston and later as a secretary for California Research Company where Spence and Margaret met. When Spence was offered a transfer to El Segundo, California, they decided to get married. Margaret was offered a transfer also since they needed a secretary in El Segundo. They were married in 1953 by Father John Wagner in Richmond, California. They honeymooned down the coast before reporting in. After ten years in southern California, they were transferred back to the Bay area and have lived in Larkspur ever since. After the move back to Larkspur, Margaret worked for a year for the City of Larkspur and for ten years as a secretary for Pharmaquest.
Spence and Margaret had five children:
| Susan Frances Hogg | Born in 1954 |
| Robert Alan Hogg | Born in 1956 |
| Mary Margaret Hogg | Born in 1959 |
| Patricia Ann Hogg | Born in 1962 |
| John Joseph Hogg | Born in 1964 at Marin General Hospital |
Margaret died in April 2017.
You may contact Spence Hogg at SpenceHogg@aol.com.
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