Robert William Spencer

Born April 28, 1927 in Oak Park, Illinois, to James and Hilda Spencer, he endured the Depression and graduated from Crane Technical High School in Chicago. He served in the U.S. Army prior to the outbreak of the Korean War. Trained as a military vehicle mechanic, he enjoyed his opportunity to serve his country and was honorably discharged as a disabled veteran. He returned to Chicago and attended several academic institutions, eventually graduating from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. During his lengthy collegiate career he met and married Elvera Werner. Together they raised three children while residing in Glen Ellyn, IL and Logansport, IN, eventually forsaking the snowy Midwest in favor of the southwestern warmth of El Paso, TX. His career as an accountant, plant controller and manager spanned the corporate landscape as well, working for Hotpoint, Hurletron Inc., Essex International, AGP Corporation, Eckrich Food Service, and ConAgra Foods.

During the early years of their marriage, he and Elvera followed motorsports in the Chicago-Milwaukee area. After starting a family he was actively engaged in their interests, serving on Boy Scout troop committees and school band booster organizations. An avid aviation enthusiast, he was licensed as a private pilot and enjoyed flying a variety of light aircraft. He was active in the El Paso chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Intrigued by personal computing technology, his home became a veritable museum of Hollerith cards, floppy disks and dot-matrix printers. He was a skilled woodworker who fabricated durable and attractive furniture and cabinetry for the family home. He found time to pursue amateur radio and sailing. Avid supporters of the El Paso and San Antonio symphonies, he and Elvera were fixtures in their classical concert audiences.