KINSMAN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Lee Edward Spencer of Pinnacle, North Carolina, formerly of Kinsman, passed away on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at 3:56 a.m. in Northern Regional Hospital in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. He was 87 years old.
Lee was born in Martin, Kentucky, on January 10, 1936, the son of the late Lee and Nannie Daniels Spencer.
He moved to the Ohio Valley during childhood and attended Vinton School.
Lee left school at age 17 to enlist in the Marines during the Korean War where he earned his GED. Following his seven years in the Marines, Mr. Spencer proudly served an additional 13 years in the United States Navy. He was stationed at Camp LeJeune during his first three years then assigned to a Navy carrier for mechanical support for a year. Following this he was then assigned to the U.S. Ambassador at the Embassy in Madrid, Spain from 1957-1960. While in the Navy, he was stationed at both the Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia shipyards and assigned to several different aircraft carrier ships for six-month tours in the Mediterranean including the USS Independence and USS Ticonderoga as a Mechanic’s Mate from 1960-1969. He came off the water in 1969 and was transferred to Warren, Ohio as a Navy recruiter where he and family settled in rural northern Trumbull County. Lee retired from the military as an E9 and a Mechanic’s Mate First Class in 1973.
Following the military, he worked for Ohio Edison until his retirement in 1992.
In his spare time, Lee enjoyed watching old westerns, playing cards and building model cars. Also going on car rides or sitting back drinking coffee while talking to his family on the phone were the simple things that meant a lot to him.
He is survived by his daughters, Anna Spencer Fetchko Martin of Blairsville, Georgia and Deborah Spencer of Niles; sons, Kenneth Spencer, Sr. of Stow and Stanley (Sabrina) Bartkowiak IV of Wolcott, Connecticut; sisters, LaVonda Spencer Jeffers of Graham, Washington and Velma Spencer Coleman of Bidwell; a brother, Daniel K. Spencer of Wellston; grandchildren, George (Danielle) Fetchko of Rotterdam New York, Ariel (John Mohr) Fetchko of Niles, Brittany (Nathanael) Waldinger of Girard, Kenneth (Amy) Spencer, Jr. of Canfield, Sincere Pough of Struthers, Bryce Spencer of Niles, Justice Spencer of Warren, Stanley Bartkowiak V, Aspen Bartkowiak and Saffron Bartkowiak of Wolcott, Connecticut and six great-grandchildren, Claire and Conner Fetchko of Rotterdam, New York, Aiden and Paisley Mohr of Salem, Logan Waldinger of Girard, Ozzy Spencer of Canfield and Nolan Spencer of Struthers.
In addition to his parents, Lee was preceded in death by his first wife of 13 years, Judith Ann Hopkins Spencer who passed in 1976; his second wife of 25 years, Dorothy Ann Edwards Bartkowiak Spencer who passed in 2020 and his siblings, John, Sherwood, Robert, and Adrian Spencer and Joyce Seybold.
Friends and family may send condolences to www.NicholasFuneralHome.com
In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice in Lee’s memory.
Calling hours will be held on Saturday, August 12, 2023, from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. with military honors being rendered at 11:00 a.m. at Wm Nicholas Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 614 Warren Avenue, Niles, OH 44446, where a funeral service will follow military honors at the funeral home.
Inurnment will take place at Niles City Cemetery at a later date.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Lee E. Spencer, please visit our floral store.
A television tribute will air Sunday, August 6, at the following approximate times: 6:27 p.m. on WYTV and 6:58 p.m. on MyYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing.
