DR. JOHN R. SPENCER

DR. JOHN R. SPENCER

Dr. John R. Spencer, 89, of Murphy died Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010 in Murphy Medical Center Nursing Home. A native of Canton, PA, he had lived in Laurel, MD before moving to Murphy in 2006. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the United States Army as a nurse in the 85^th Infantry Division in the European Theatre in Italy. He received his MD degree in 1953 from Loma Linda University in California. He practiced medicine for 30 years in Burtonsville, MD. He was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. His hobbies included coin and stamp collecting, photography, and gardening.

He was the son of the late John Wesley Raymond and Rosalee Andrus Spencer.

Surviving are two daughters, Sherrie Maize and husband, Lonnie of Murphy and Debbie Spencer and fiancé, Doug McCarty of Phoenix, AZ; a son, Sheldon P. Spencer and wife, Elma of Laurel, MD; four grandchildren, Shelly Merryman, Kristi French, Cheyenne Lere, and Michael Pechacek; and three great grandchildren, Arabella, Aaron, and Arika Merryman.

A graveside service will be held at 10:30 AM Thursday, Feb. 25 in Memory Hill Cemetery with military graveside rites and with Pastor Dennis Schreiner officiating. Pallbearers will be Lonnie Maize, Jay VerCrouse, Dennis Schreiner, Jason Merryman, and Allen Harris.  Aaron Merryman will serve as honorary pallbearer.

The family requests memorials be made in memory of Dr. John R. Spencer to the Memory Hill Cemetery Fund, c/o Murphy Seventh Day Adventist Church, PO Box 620, Murphy, NC 28906.

Ivie Funeral Home, Murphy in charge of all arrangements.

An online guest register is available at “Obituaries” at www.iviefuneralhome.com