John Spalding, musician and foodie

In the last years of his life, John Spalding wrote music, songs detailing his love of his wife and his fight with cancer.

His friends hope to release the album and maybe help with the consuming debt Mr. Spalding faced in his battle with cancer. "It wasn't a cancer album. It was joyful," said friend and fellow musician Chris Estey.

Mr. Spalding, a Bothell native, died Sunday (Nov. 23) in his West Seattle home after a four-year battle with colorectal cancer. He was 33.

"He was the major influence in my life," said Mr. Spalding's brother, Steve. "He always stuck with his morals and his words. He had a creative spark and a loving nature about him."

A graduate of O'Dea High School, Mr. Spalding attended Carroll College in Montana before dropping out to pursue music. He said he had to follow his dreams, said his mother, Kathy Spalding. "John loved life. He lived his life to his fullest and he embraced everyone."

Mr. Spalding played the guitar in many bands including the best-known Raft of Dead Monkeys. He said he was on a trip to Africa with his father and was in Nigeria, out in the middle of a field, surrounded by animals, when the name struck him. He later used it as the name of his newest group, a hard-rock performance band.

Mr. Spalding also attended a culinary school in Portland, worked in Tahiti on an internship and moved back to Seattle where he worked in the kitchen at the Metropolitan Grill. He also worked at other Seattle restaurants until he became too ill.

"Everyone knew him as a fabulous cook," said Estey, who encouraged him to make his new album. "We'd go out to lunch and he'd spend half the time talking about his working as a chef. He was the gentle punk of the foodie music set."

His brother said he and Mr. Spalding would talk about his death. He'd had many rounds of chemotherapy and was exhausted.

"He was ready," said Steve Spalding. "The last few days before his passing was a time in my life I will never forget. It was a huge feeling of love. The whole house was surrounded by his presence of love and family and friends. It was the way he had envisioned his passing."

In addition to his mother and brother, Mr. Spalding is survived by wife, Jody, of West Seattle; his father, Dave; and his sister, Annie Spalding, both of Bothell.

A candlelight vigil is 7 p.m. Sunday at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in West Seattle, 7000 35th Avenue S.W. Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the church.

The family asks that donations in his name be made to the John D. Spalding Medical Fund at any Bank of America branch to help with his medical bills.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com