CONNERSVILLE — Jack L. Spencer, 82, passed away Monday at Fayette Regional Health System.
He was born Dec. 10, 1926, in Dugger, the son of the late Russell Charles Spencer and Tressie Iola (Hawkins) Spencer.
He was a graduate of Union High School in Sullivan County and served as a proud member of the U.S. Navy during World War II through the years of 1944 and 1945. He served on the USS Knight as a fireman first class. He saw action in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters. Following the service he attended Indiana State Teachers College in Terre Haute, graduating in 1949. He began his teaching career in New Castle as an industrial arts instructor. He later worked for 12 years in farming in Farmersburg before returning to teaching at the Kreuger Junior High School in Michigan City. He taught industrial arts for 23 years until retirement in 1989. He was a member of the Trinity Episcopal Church in Connersville. He had been active in the various communities in which he has lived. He was the first Eagle Scout in Dugger and had been a troop leader for the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. He was instrumental in the founding of the Curry Township volunteer fire department in Farmersburg, where he served as a member and fire chief during the late 1950s. He served on the building committee for the construction of North Central High School in Sullivan County. For many years he was active in the Alcoholics Anonymous program and served as a volunteer in the LaPorte County and Daviess County judicial system. During his retirement, he ejoyed traveling.
He is survived by his wife, Jayne (Yeager) Spencer, to whom he was married in 1977. He is also survived by three daughters, LeAnn Spencer and husband Stephen Duke of Naperville, Ill., Carla Jean and John Freels of Savannah, Ga., Debra Lynn and Gregory Curtis of Fort Myers, Fla.; two stepdaughters, Kathleen Jayne Conner and Mariette and Michael Schuster, all of Denver, Colo.; two stepsons, John Tyler and Brenda Conner of Seattle, Wash., and Michael Edwin and Kerri Conner of Denver; two sisters, Barbara Sue Riggs of Sullivan and Patricia Ann Pinkston of Terre Haute; four grandchildren; seven stepgrandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his first wife, Anita Jean (Allan) Spencer and an infant son, George Allan Spencer.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Connersville, with Rev. Janet Richardson oficiating. Burial with military honors will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Madison.
Friends may call from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Urban-Winkler Funeral Home in Connersville.
Preferred memorials are to the Fayette Regional Health System Foundation in Connersville or to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio.
Anyone wishing to send the family a personal message may do so by going to www.urbanwinklerfuneralhome.com.
(July 20, 2009)
