David Stanley Spencer

David Spencer, a long-time resident of Naples, FL, passed away peacefully at Avow Hospice in Naples on July 25, 2025, with close family members by his side. David had been battling through late-stage Alzheimer’s Disease and other health complications. In spite of the terminal condition and some of the uphill medical battles he endured over the years, he never lost his will to continue or his beaming, magnetic smile or the warmth and compassion that he had for all of those around him or even his brilliance and incredible critical thinking ability—all of which were elements that were instrumental to the life he built over an amazing 84 years.

David was born on October 15, 1940, to David and Lolita Spencer in Shreveport, LA.

He attended Texas A&M University and graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics in 1962. After being heavily involved in ROTC in high school, he chose the university specifically because the Corps of Cadets was mandatory for all attendees at that time, and honor, duty, and service to his country were already on his mind. A few years later the school would become coeducational and the Corps would become voluntary for students, even though it remains at the core of Texas A&M’s identity to this day.

Upon graduation, he joined the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant and served in Military Intelligence during the formative years of the U.S. Intelligence Community in the 1960s. He was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant, his terminal rank, and served in the Army Reserves out of Fort Devens, MA until 1968, when he received his Honorable Discharge.

While he was in the Reserves and working a full-time corporate job, David attended the prestigious Harvard Business School, obtaining his M.B.A. in 1967. From there, he held various executive roles in the Boston area, including working for IBM during some of the dramatic years of the company’s rise and the expansion of its groundbreaking technology.

David then moved his family to Naples, FL in 1981, after his mother, Lolita, used the beautiful tropical weather (compared to the cold New England winters) and the white sand beaches to help entice him. While the town might have been smaller and sleepier then, especially compared to the hustle and bustle of Boston, he expanded his career into commercial real estate with John R. Wood Realtors, where he quickly thrived. His ability to combine his warm, easygoing nature and his analytical mind—honed from his previous experiences, helped him to both build close relationships and navigate complicated deals.

He later put together a group of partners and acquired a number of food franchise locations in Florida. The group expanded the number of franchises they owned, coinciding with the population growth in the 1990s, before later selling them.

Upon his retirement in the early 2000s, David really ramped up having adventures and living life to the fullest. He took his 45-foot trawler, the Mon Ami, all over the Caribbean—truly embracing living on “island time” and finding those hidden spots usually only reserved for locals. David and his wife Barbara even piloted the boat all the way from Florida to New York—with a wealth of stories to tell from their journey.

Later in life he became just about the biggest pickleball aficionado you could imagine—playing multiple times per day. It kept him in great shape and allowed him time with friends on the courts. And while he led such an active, outdoor lifestyle, David was never more than a few feet away from a book or newspaper that he was currently reading. Even though he was brilliant, he never stopped learning or ever thought he had all the answers.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Miller, of Naples FL; his son, Eric Spencer, of Naples, FL; his son David Spencer, Jr. (Julie) of Weston, MA; his daughter Pamela Rabil (Spencer) of Weston, MA; his granddaughters: Melanie, Lily, Jessica, and Allissar; and his great-granddaughter Mila, in addition to extended family members and loved ones globally.

He was preceded in death by his parents, David and Lolita, of Shreveport, LA and Naples, FL and by his only sibling, his brother, Dan Spencer, of Naples, FL.

The late icon, Jimmy Buffett, was one of David’s favorites—both in music and in living a life full of adventures, often on the water. That warm, kind, always-smiling disposition of David can be summed up perfectly by Jimmy: “It takes no more time to see the good side of life than the bad.”

A celebration of David’s life is being held later this month in a private ceremony with family and friends.

In lieu of flowers and to help honor David, please see the donation information below for the Alzheimer’s Association: https://www.alz.org/