Spencer, James Herbert

James Herbert Spencer, 77, 3360 Township Road, Antioch, retired from Owens Illinois glass Co., died Monday at home of cancer. Services are 1 pm tomorrow, at Otter Creek Church of Christ. Survivors: wife, Katherine Estep Spencer; son, James Spencer, Nashville; daughter, Jamie Durham, Hermitage; brothers, Duane Spencer, Elizabeth, West Virginia, Larry Spencer, San Jose, California; sister, Carolee Daniel, Middlebourne, West Virginia; mother, Loise Spencer Daniel; three grandchildren.

Funeral comments by his son Terry Spencer

We are here to celebrate the life and memory of James Herbert Spencer, husband to Katherine Estep Spencer and father to James Terry Spencer and Jamie Spencer Durham. Dad served in the military during World War II on a destroyer escort ship in the North Atlantic. He was in the Scottish Rite order of the Masons for more than fifty years. Above all else Jim was known for his undying love for his wife and family. Neither of his children can recall a cross word he ever spoke to them in their adult life. There no arguments, bitterness or strife—only kindness, joy, and optimism.

He had an incredible sense of humor and a way of seeing the funny side of even the simplest of situations. He liked to create funny situations when one did not exist. He once went into a shoe repair ship to get his shoes re-soled. He took off the shoes he was wearing, put them on the counter, and asked the man behind the counter when they would be ready. He was told it would be a few days and he asked the man to please hurry, as they were his only pair of shoes (which, of course, they weren’t). He turned and walked out of the shop in his sock feet. He said the man walked out on the sidewalk in disbelief and watched him drive away. Jim chuckled to himself and went home. It was months before he shared the incident with his family.

Jim also had a tremendous compassion for those less fortunate than himself. When he and Mom lived in Alabama, there was a family that lived nearby that sharecropped on a farm. He was constantly finding odd jobs around his house and yard for this man to do so that he could pay him. He was concerned for their five children the most. He told them that for every A they made on their report card he would give them one dollar. Every six weeks they would proudly come knocking at the door to show him how they had done, and he would brag on their progress and give them their reward. The biggest thing he gave them though was the knowledge that someone believed in them and taught them to have pride in themselves.

One of his pleasures during his retirement was working in his vegetable garden. He also took great joy in sharing the fruits of his labor. Many people in Sheffield and Florence, Alabama, would come home to a sack of fresh tomatoes and green beans on their front porch or deck. He used to say that if you gave away a portion of what you reaped, God would make your garden grow more abundantly.

When his health allowed him to, he never missed an opportunity to go fishing. When Jim and Katy lived by the lake, he would arrange his chores around when the fish were biting. He also loved to have fish fries and invite all his friends to enjoy the fish he caught and the vegetables he grew. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed watching wildlife. He would go out in a field behind the house in the afternoons with his binoculars and camera to look for hawks and eagles that like to roost nearby. He was so faithful in feeding the birds in his yard that they began to meet him at the end of the driveway chirping when the birdfeeder was empty.

Everything Jim accomplished he did by himself with the help of God. He was a strong believer in pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. His mother Lena died when he was four years old and he grew up on a small farm in West Virginia. He left home as soon as he graduated high school to begin a new life for himself. After the war he went to work for Owens Illinois Glass Co. in Charleston, West Virginia. Throughout the years he won the respect of those who worked with him and for him by the way he developed relationships. He always made it a point to speak directly to each employee and to ask him or her about their family. He asked for their input about their job before it became popular or Total Quality Management had been coined as a good way of increasing production. He knew it instinctively.

One of the lessons he taught his children was that if you ever had to borrow anything make sure to return it in better condition than when you received it. And he was specific on how to go about it. He preferred, however, not to owe anyone anything. His advice to his children also was to remain out of debt, save ten percent of what you earn, and set aside some for the Lord. This simple philosophy allowed him to be able to live comfortably during his retirement years in spite of his meager income by today’s standards.

He loved bluegrass music and learned to play the banjo. He enjoyed going to festivals and got to be friends with many of the performers. Many of them signed the back of his banjo. He used to go to a local barbershop in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, on Saturday mornings. The owner of the barbershop played the fiddle and the owner of the music store next door played the banjo. Every Saturday people who were in town to record would stop by to “pick and grin.” Dad played right along with some of the best.

The most important thing we can say about Jim was his love of God and his desire to make sure that before he died he made peace with anyone he may have offended in the past in any way. His last words to his children were that he loved them. He was a humble man and wanted to leave this world with a clean slate as he used to say. We rejoice in his legacy and in the knowledge that we will all join him someday in heaven.

A letter from James’s brother Larry, sent to Terry

I deeply regret I am unable to personally come to Nashville to be with my family and celebrate my brother James’ life, but I am there with you in spirit and mourn with you his passing.

I’ve known and loved James all my life. My big brother was already a young man when I was born. And he was a wonderful big brother! Blackie, they called him in school, was one of the toughest linemen Spencer High School ever had. We’ve always been very proud of him. When he joined the military, my happiest memories are of the times he would come home on leave and we’d go fishing together. And I’ll never forget what a thrill it was for me when he took Duane and me on a tour of the glass factory in Charleston where he was working. He used to come all the way from Charleston just to watch me play football at Wirt County High, which really inspired me to run just a little faster and throw just a little better. I hope James knew how much he’s always meant to me.

We didn’t get to see each other as much as I would have liked, but in later years on the phone he and I would solve world problems and still have lots of laughs together. Like remembering the time when he got a new ’53 Ford and took Duane and me out to show off on the West Virginia Turnpike, where he challenged a souped-up ’36 Chevy to a race. You can imagine his chagrin when we were left sitting in the dust in his brand new car.

James was just so much fun to be with. He was tough, passionate, and compassionate as a man can be. He always cared about others and made them feel comfortable to be around him. “He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much.” That is my brother, whom I will love and cherish forever.

In James 4:14, it reads, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

Thank you, James, for appearing in my life. I love you. --Larry