John “Jack” Edward Spencer, 93, of Great Falls, passed away August 17, 2024 in his home surrounded by family members. A burial service with military honors will be held on Friday, September 13, 2024 at 1:30pm at the Fort Harrison Cemetery.
John was born February 11, 1931 in Arlington, WA to Henry & Frances (Faires) Spencer as the second of 5 children (2 brothers & 2 sisters). He spent most of his childhood on a small (22 acre) farm. John learned to drive on a farm tractor when he was 12 years old and from then on, he earned men’s wages which was $1/hour. He graduated from Arlington in 1949 where he lettered in basketball and played baseball.
In October 1950, John joined the United States Air Force. His first assignment was in Germany. One of his most unforgettable memories was marching down the pier with the band playing and flags flying as he boarded the USS General Patch and watched the Statue of Liberty disappear as they sailed away. After a short stint in Germany, he was reassigned to England where he met the love of his life, Dulce Cracknell.
John & Dulce were married in England on October 24, 1953 (which happened to be the first day of hunting season in Montana). On August 26, 1954, they boarded the USS General Upshur (Dulce called it the Up-Chuck) and arrived in New York Harbor on September 2nd, 1954. In May of 1955, their first son, Michael, was born at Scott AFB in Illinois. They would continue to grow their family while living a military lifestyle – residing in 23 homes over 26 years. Their only daughter, Pamela, was born in 1957 at Larson AFB in Washington and another son, John, in 1966 at Vandenberg AFB in California.
After 26 years of service, John retired having made many lifelong friends & unforgettable memories along the way. He was just 18 months away from earning his Chief Stripes, but it would have required a move to Korea. John and Dulce were happy in Great Falls and very involved in the community, so they decided to stay.
John was only retired for two days when he went back to work at the Deaconess Hospital where his goal was to become as valuable a member of the management team as he could. He adopted the motto, “we can fix anything but broken hearts and promises and we leave those to the nursing staff”. He remained at the hospital for 15 years before his final retirement. Over the years, he was also a civic volunteer serving on 23 organizations.
In their free time, John & Dulce became more involved with politics and enjoyed camping and hunting. They also began traveling south in the winter to California and Arizona. They spent 23 years together in retirement. The entire family was heartbroken with Dulce’s passing in May of 2014. John created a memorial in her honor at the entrance of their home and it was never without fresh flowers.
In more recent years, John enjoyed shooting at the Trap Club, gardening, and genealogy, but most of all he was grateful for visits with his friends and family, which often involved ‘straw wars’ and sharing a Triple Chocolate Meltdown.
At 93, John still had a great sense of humor. He joked that he had been collecting a retirement paycheck from the military for so long they had to contact him when they wanted to buy a new aircraft.
John is survived by his children: Mike (Kyle) of Hingham, Pam (Eric) of Northridge, CA and, John (Jen) Spencer of Helena; grandchildren: Kali, Memory, Ian, EJ, Nikki, Tanner, Caleb, Lindsey, Jacob, and Ridge; Eight great grandchildren; and his brother, David. John joins his loving wife, Dulce, in heaven. Along with his parents, and siblings: Donald, Joyce, and Carolyn.
If you wish to express your sympathy, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, you might consider making a charitable donation to your local veteran’s organization or Humane Society.
Author: Staff
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