Glen R. Spetz

Glen Rudolph Spetz, 90, passed away on Friday, August 6. He was born in Duluth, MN to Swedish parents who had immigrated to the United States. After graduation from Duluth Central High School, Glen earned a degree in Physics and Mathematics from Gustavus Adolphus College in St Peter, MN. At Gustavus, Glen was a member of Epsilon Pi Alpha fraternity, he sang in the college choir, and he formed a singing quartet called The Collegians. Glen’s other interests included photography and aeronautics.

After graduation in 1942,Glen worked for a firm in New Jersey as an engineer evaluating new products. While there he attended a World Series game in New York between the Yankees and Cardinals, the last professional baseball game he attended until joining his sons at a Ray’s game in 2009.

In late 1942 Glen joined the 9th Air Force Division as a medical x-ray operator in the 196th Medical Dispensary – Aviation. After receiving training in the portable x-ray equipment at Drew Field in Tampa he was posted to England shortly before D-Day. Glen met Peggy Perks, his future bride, at a GI dance. Peg was in OPS (secret radar) with the Royal Air Force and always said the girls went to the dances for the free ice cream. After D-Day Glen’s unit followed the Allied forces throughout Europe until the VE Day.

After the war Glen returned to Minneapolis and earned an Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Minnesota. He convinced Peg to marry him and began his life’s career as a leader for Honeywell in the Aerospace Division, developing guidance systems for ballistic missiles and satellites. He also became a lifelong member of the Minneregs, a fraternal club of Honeywell employees from the Minneapolis headquarters.

In 1957 Glen transferred to Clearwater, Florida, to help open Honeywell’s new aerospace plant.. It grew substantially during his time there.

In 1958 Glen and Peg built the home in Belleair Bluffs where they raised their children, Kathryn, Teddy, Andy, and Marty. The years of the Space Race were exciting for the Spetz family, especially the boys. Glen frequently brought his work home – gyroscopes for inertial guidance - and built backyard rockets with his sons. During this time he also developed several patented inventions for Honeywell regarding inertial guidance systems for rockets, missiles, and satellites.

The family was very involved in Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs. Glen served as a Cub Scout leader for Pack 612 (Mildred Helms Elementary) and Boy Scout leader for Troop 457 (Anona Methodist Church) for many years.

Glen and Peg were board members of the founding group of Footlights Theater in 1962 and, with their children, remained heavily involved in all aspects of the theater, including administration, playing parts, and designing and creating sets and costumes for 20 years.

After 35 years with Honeywell, Glen retired in 1984 and became a national consultant for inertial guidance systems while he and Peg traveled the world. Their children said that during the 1980s they didn’t always know where their parents were, but they were probably somewhere on Planet Earth – and Dad would have the photos to prove it. Glen loved taking photos of everyone and everything. Glen and Peg visited to relatives in England and Sweden frequently, and then would hurry home to host their British and Swedish relatives on trips to the Florida Keys and Disneyworld.

In 1982 Glen and Peg purchased a house in Yankeetown on the Withlacoochee River. They rebuilt the home and moved to Yankeetown permanently in 1991, happy to live in a beautiful and wild part of old Florida. The couple immediately became active in Yankeetown life – Peg as president of the women’s club and library, and Glen as an elected town councilman. During his 12 years of service Glen was instrumental in working to improve Yankeetown’s water quality and became notorious for the amount of research and paperwork involved in his projects. He was active in the Coast Guard Auxiliary and enjoyed his member number – 007. His most enduring legacy was the creation of the Park to Park Bike Path between Inglis and Yankeetown, a fitting tribute to a community he loved.

In 2008 Glen and Peg moved back to Largo, living at Pinecrest Place, a retirement community across from Taylor Park and next to a golf course he played regularly while at Honeywell.

Glen is survived by his wife Peggy, and 4 children, Kathryn in Atlanta, Ted in Homosassa, Andy in Clearwater, and Martin in Largo. He is also survived by his younger sister, Mildred Furlong and his nephew Tom Furlong, both of Minneapolis.

A memorial service will be held 2 pm Friday, August 27, 2010 at Moss-Feaster Funeral Home, Serenity Gardens Chapel, 13401 indian Rocks Road, Largo, FL 33774.

www.mossfeasterlargo.com

(727)562-2080