Henry Stone Spencer, 95, died April 18. Born in Jackson, KY, he was the son of the late John and Zuma Spencer. While a senior at Lafayette High School in 1941, he left school early after the attack on Pearl Harbor to enlist in the armed forces as a member of the 1st Marine Division and took part in three major Pacific battles during World War II: Guadalcanal, Peleliu and Cape Gloucester. He was awarded three Bronze Stars. Upon his return from the war in 1945, he attended the University of Kentucky under the G.I. Bill, completing a degree in Commerce within three years. He worked for Virginia-Carolina Chemical, Mobil Oil, Swift, and Dresser Industries before going to work in UK's Division of Regulatory Services, School of Agriculture, in 1974. He retired from UK at age 88 in 2011. He was a member of the Crestwood Christian Church in Lexington. He was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Doris. He is survived by two sons, Hank (Mary Ellen) Spencer of Prospect, KY, and Clark (Lori) Spencer of Pembroke Pines, FL; five grandchildren Erin (Matt) Spencer of Los Angeles, CA, Carrie Spencer of Asheville, NC, Sarah Caramanica of Tampa, FL, and Libby and Molly Spencer of Pembroke Pines, FL; and three great-grandchildren.

Published in Lexington Herald-Leader on May 8, 2019