John “Jack” Edward Spencer, 93, of Great Falls, passed away August 17, 2024 in his home surrounded by family members. John was born February 11, 1931 in Arlington, WA to Henry & Frances (Faires) Spencer. He graduated from Arlington in 1949 where he lettered in basketball and played baseball.
In October 1950, John joined the United States Air Force. His first assignment was in Germany. After a short stint in Germany, he was reassigned to England where he met the love of his life, Dulce Cracknell.
John & Dulce were married in England on October 24, 1953 (which happened to be the first day of hunting season in Montana). On August 26, 1954, they boarded the USS General Upshur and arrived in New York Harbor on September 2nd, 1954. In May of 1955, their first son, Michael, was born at Scott AFB in Illinois. They would continue to grow their family while living a military lifestyle - residing in 23 homes over 26 years. Their only daughter, Pamela, was born in 1957 at Larson AFB in Washington and another son, John, in 1966 at Vandenberg AFB in California.
After 26 years of service, John retired having made many lifelong friends & unforgettable memories along the way. He was just 18 months away from earning his Chief Stripes, but it would have required a move to Korea. John and Dulce were happy in Great Falls and very involved in the community, so they decided to stay.
John was only retired for two days when he went back to work at the Deaconess Hospital where his goal was to become as valuable a member of the management team as he could. He adopted the motto, “we can fix anything but broken hearts and promises and we leave those to the nursing staff”. He remained at the hospital for 15 years before his final retirement. Over the years, he was also a civic volunteer serving on 23 organizations.
In more recent years, John enjoyed shooting at the Trap Club, gardening, and genealogy, but most of all he was grateful for visits with his friends and family, which often involved ‘straw wars’ and sharing a Triple Chocolate Meltdown.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, click here to visit the Croxford Funeral Home website.
