Joseph Richard Spence of Hillcrest Lane, Shippenville, died Monday, September 12th at the Golden Living Center in Shippenville..
Born in Oil City on December 2, 1923, he was the son of Joseph and Catherine Herdick Spence.
He attended Oil City High School where he was active in art and dramatics. Following his graduation in 1942, he enrolled at Edinboro State Teachers College (now Edinboro University of Pennsylvania) as an art education major.
In November of that year, along with a group of fellow classmates, he enlisted in the United States Army and was called to service in February, 1943. Following basic training, he earned a place in the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP).and completed the Army course in Basic Engineering at the City College of New York.
In the Spring of 1944, he departed for Europe with the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. This was a secret Army unit trained in Battlefield deception known by its members as "The Ghost Army." It employed an array of strategies as inflatable tanks, sound trucks, phony radio transmissions and even play acting to fool the enemy. He served with this group in the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion in five campaigns and 21 battles from Normandy to the Rhine. He received the World War II Victory Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Jubilee of Liberty Medal from the French government.
After his Honorable Discharge from the Army in October, 1945, he returned to Edinboro where he received the Bachelor of Science Degree in 1948. During this time he met his wife, Carol Carr of Warren. They were married on December 31, 1947.
Dr. Spence returned to Oil City High School in January, 1948, as a teacher of Art and Social Studies and Dramatic Coach. In September, he joined the faculty of Beaty Junior High in Warren as an art teacher. He also taught adult classes in painting in Warren as well as graduate extension courses for The Pennsylvania State University. He became Art Supervisor in 1950.
Dr. Spence pursued graduate work in Art Education, receiving both a Master's and Doctorate from The Pennsylvania University. He became chairman of the Art Department at Clarion State University in 1955, a position he held until 1970. He was chairman of the faculty committee for program and physical development of Venango Campus and served as the President's Representative to the Clarion Chamber of Commerce. In 1962, he became Director of Development and Campus Planning.
Dr. Spence moved in 1970 to head the Art Department at Mankato State University in Minnesota and in 1975 became Director of the School of Art at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. In 1979, he was appointed to chair the Department of Creative Arts at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. When he retired from UNCC in 1986, he and his wife returned to Pennsylvania.
In addition to teaching art, Dr. Spence was no stranger to creative expression. He himself was an artist. He worked in many mediums, but his specialty and favorite was watercolor painting. You could often find him creating art on family birthday cakes, personalized cards and banners for celebrations. People who received these treasure their collections of his work.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carol Carr Spence and their children, Dr. John R, Spence of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Catherine J. Spence and husband Robert Barnett of Richmond, VA; Dr. Carolyn Spence Cagle and husband Richard Cagle of Fort Worth, TX; Thomas C. Spence and wife, LuAnn of Shippenville; Dr. Mary F. Spence and husband Alan Green of Ann Arbor, MI. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, Tom J. Spence and wife Jill of Shippenville; Jodi Spence and fiancé Brian Jones, of Baltimore, MD; Amy Spence Samuels and husband Greg Samuels of Tampa, FL; Bryn Spence and wife Juanita of Edmonton, AB; Eiry Spence and husband, Ben Poltorak of Calgary, AB; Briana Spence Cagle of Irving, TX; Austin Green and Lindsay Green of Ann Arbor, MI. Three great-grandchildren also survive: Joseph Rodney Spence and Brooklyn Kristine Spence of Shippenville and Adilyn Grace Spence of Edmonton, AB.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Dr. Marion J. Spence and a great-grandson, Dominic Reid Spence.
Visitation will be Thursday, September 15th from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 PM at the Goble Funeral Home & Crematory in Clarion. Funeral services will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at 11 AM on Friday, September 16th with Fr. Monty Sayers and Pastor Randy Evans officiating. A Christian Wake service will be held on Thursday at 8:30 PM from the funeral home.
Interment will follow in the Brandon Cemetery in Seneca.
Full Military Honors will be given on Thursday evening at 7:00 PM at the funeral home by the Clarion American Legion Post 66.
Donations in his memory may be made to Clarion Forest VNA (www.cfvna.org), The Ghost Army (www.ghostarmy.org) or a charity of the donor's choice.
Born in Oil City on December 2, 1923, he was the son of Joseph and Catherine Herdick Spence.
He attended Oil City High School where he was active in art and dramatics. Following his graduation in 1942, he enrolled at Edinboro State Teachers College (now Edinboro University of Pennsylvania) as an art education major.
In November of that year, along with a group of fellow classmates, he enlisted in the United States Army and was called to service in February, 1943. Following basic training, he earned a place in the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP).and completed the Army course in Basic Engineering at the City College of New York.
In the Spring of 1944, he departed for Europe with the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. This was a secret Army unit trained in Battlefield deception known by its members as "The Ghost Army." It employed an array of strategies as inflatable tanks, sound trucks, phony radio transmissions and even play acting to fool the enemy. He served with this group in the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion in five campaigns and 21 battles from Normandy to the Rhine. He received the World War II Victory Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Jubilee of Liberty Medal from the French government.
After his Honorable Discharge from the Army in October, 1945, he returned to Edinboro where he received the Bachelor of Science Degree in 1948. During this time he met his wife, Carol Carr of Warren. They were married on December 31, 1947.
Dr. Spence returned to Oil City High School in January, 1948, as a teacher of Art and Social Studies and Dramatic Coach. In September, he joined the faculty of Beaty Junior High in Warren as an art teacher. He also taught adult classes in painting in Warren as well as graduate extension courses for The Pennsylvania State University. He became Art Supervisor in 1950.
Dr. Spence pursued graduate work in Art Education, receiving both a Master's and Doctorate from The Pennsylvania University. He became chairman of the Art Department at Clarion State University in 1955, a position he held until 1970. He was chairman of the faculty committee for program and physical development of Venango Campus and served as the President's Representative to the Clarion Chamber of Commerce. In 1962, he became Director of Development and Campus Planning.
Dr. Spence moved in 1970 to head the Art Department at Mankato State University in Minnesota and in 1975 became Director of the School of Art at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. In 1979, he was appointed to chair the Department of Creative Arts at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. When he retired from UNCC in 1986, he and his wife returned to Pennsylvania.
In addition to teaching art, Dr. Spence was no stranger to creative expression. He himself was an artist. He worked in many mediums, but his specialty and favorite was watercolor painting. You could often find him creating art on family birthday cakes, personalized cards and banners for celebrations. People who received these treasure their collections of his work.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carol Carr Spence and their children, Dr. John R, Spence of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Catherine J. Spence and husband Robert Barnett of Richmond, VA; Dr. Carolyn Spence Cagle and husband Richard Cagle of Fort Worth, TX; Thomas C. Spence and wife, LuAnn of Shippenville; Dr. Mary F. Spence and husband Alan Green of Ann Arbor, MI. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, Tom J. Spence and wife Jill of Shippenville; Jodi Spence and fiancé Brian Jones, of Baltimore, MD; Amy Spence Samuels and husband Greg Samuels of Tampa, FL; Bryn Spence and wife Juanita of Edmonton, AB; Eiry Spence and husband, Ben Poltorak of Calgary, AB; Briana Spence Cagle of Irving, TX; Austin Green and Lindsay Green of Ann Arbor, MI. Three great-grandchildren also survive: Joseph Rodney Spence and Brooklyn Kristine Spence of Shippenville and Adilyn Grace Spence of Edmonton, AB.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Dr. Marion J. Spence and a great-grandson, Dominic Reid Spence.
Visitation will be Thursday, September 15th from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 PM at the Goble Funeral Home & Crematory in Clarion. Funeral services will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at 11 AM on Friday, September 16th with Fr. Monty Sayers and Pastor Randy Evans officiating. A Christian Wake service will be held on Thursday at 8:30 PM from the funeral home.
Interment will follow in the Brandon Cemetery in Seneca.
Full Military Honors will be given on Thursday evening at 7:00 PM at the funeral home by the Clarion American Legion Post 66.
Donations in his memory may be made to Clarion Forest VNA (www.cfvna.org), The Ghost Army (www.ghostarmy.org) or a charity of the donor's choice.
Joseph Richard Spence of Hillcrest Lane, Shippenville, died Monday, September 12th at the Golden Living Center in Shippenville..
Born in Oil City on December 2, 1923, he was the son of Joseph and Catherine Herdick Spence.
He attended Oil City High School where he was active in art and dramatics. Following his graduation in 1942, he enrolled at Edinboro State Teachers College (now Edinboro University of Pennsylvania) as an art education major.
In November of that year, along with a group of fellow classmates, he enlisted in the United States Army and was called to service in February, 1943. Following basic training, he earned a place in the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP).and completed the Army course in Basic Engineering at the City College of New York.
In the Spring of 1944, he departed for Europe with the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. This was a secret Army unit trained in Battlefield deception known by its members as "The Ghost Army." It employed an array of strategies as inflatable tanks, sound trucks, phony radio transmissions and even play acting to fool the enemy. He served with this group in the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion in five campaigns and 21 battles from Normandy to the Rhine. He received the World War II Victory Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Jubilee of Liberty Medal from the French government.
After his Honorable Discharge from the Army in October, 1945, he returned to Edinboro where he received the Bachelor of Science Degree in 1948. During this time he met his wife, Carol Carr of Warren. They were married on December 31, 1947.
Dr. Spence returned to Oil City High School in January, 1948, as a teacher of Art and Social Studies and Dramatic Coach. In September, he joined the faculty of Beaty Junior High in Warren as an art teacher. He also taught adult classes in painting in Warren as well as graduate extension courses for The Pennsylvania State University. He became Art Supervisor in 1950.
Dr. Spence pursued graduate work in Art Education, receiving both a Master's and Doctorate from The Pennsylvania University. He became chairman of the Art Department at Clarion State University in 1955, a position he held until 1970. He was chairman of the faculty committee for program and physical development of Venango Campus and served as the President's Representative to the Clarion Chamber of Commerce. In 1962, he became Director of Development and Campus Planning.
Dr. Spence moved in 1970 to head the Art Department at Mankato State University in Minnesota and in 1975 became Director of the School of Art at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. In 1979, he was appointed to chair the Department of Creative Arts at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. When he retired from UNCC in 1986, he and his wife returned to Pennsylvania.
In addition to teaching art, Dr. Spence was no stranger to creative expression. He himself was an artist. He worked in many mediums, but his specialty and favorite was watercolor painting. You could often find him creating art on family birthday cakes, personalized cards and banners for celebrations. People who received these treasure their collections of his work.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carol Carr Spence and their children, Dr. John R, Spence of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Catherine J. Spence and husband Robert Barnett of Richmond, VA; Dr. Carolyn Spence Cagle and husband Richard Cagle of Fort Worth, TX; Thomas C. Spence and wife, LuAnn of Shippenville; Dr. Mary F. Spence and husband Alan Green of Ann Arbor, MI. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, Tom J. Spence and wife Jill of Shippenville; Jodi Spence and fiancé Brian Jones, of Baltimore, MD; Amy Spence Samuels and husband Greg Samuels of Tampa, FL; Bryn Spence and wife Juanita of Edmonton, AB; Eiry Spence and husband, Ben Poltorak of Calgary, AB; Briana Spence Cagle of Irving, TX; Austin Green and Lindsay Green of Ann Arbor, MI. Three great-grandchildren also survive: Joseph Rodney Spence and Brooklyn Kristine Spence of Shippenville and Adilyn Grace Spence of Edmonton, AB.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Dr. Marion J. Spence and a great-grandson, Dominic Reid Spence.
Visitation will be Thursday, September 15th from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 PM at the Goble Funeral Home & Crematory in Clarion. Funeral services will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at 11 AM on Friday, September 16th with Fr. Monty Sayers and Pastor Randy Evans officiating. A Christian Wake service will be held on Thursday at 8:30 PM from the funeral home.
Interment will follow in the Brandon Cemetery in Seneca.
Full Military Honors will be given on Thursday evening at 7:00 PM at the funeral home by the Clarion American Legion Post 66.
Donations in his memory may be made to Clarion Forest VNA (www.cfvna.org), The Ghost Army (www.ghostarmy.org) or a charity of the donor's choice.
Born in Oil City on December 2, 1923, he was the son of Joseph and Catherine Herdick Spence.
He attended Oil City High School where he was active in art and dramatics. Following his graduation in 1942, he enrolled at Edinboro State Teachers College (now Edinboro University of Pennsylvania) as an art education major.
In November of that year, along with a group of fellow classmates, he enlisted in the United States Army and was called to service in February, 1943. Following basic training, he earned a place in the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP).and completed the Army course in Basic Engineering at the City College of New York.
In the Spring of 1944, he departed for Europe with the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. This was a secret Army unit trained in Battlefield deception known by its members as "The Ghost Army." It employed an array of strategies as inflatable tanks, sound trucks, phony radio transmissions and even play acting to fool the enemy. He served with this group in the 603rd Engineer Camouflage Battalion in five campaigns and 21 battles from Normandy to the Rhine. He received the World War II Victory Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Jubilee of Liberty Medal from the French government.
After his Honorable Discharge from the Army in October, 1945, he returned to Edinboro where he received the Bachelor of Science Degree in 1948. During this time he met his wife, Carol Carr of Warren. They were married on December 31, 1947.
Dr. Spence returned to Oil City High School in January, 1948, as a teacher of Art and Social Studies and Dramatic Coach. In September, he joined the faculty of Beaty Junior High in Warren as an art teacher. He also taught adult classes in painting in Warren as well as graduate extension courses for The Pennsylvania State University. He became Art Supervisor in 1950.
Dr. Spence pursued graduate work in Art Education, receiving both a Master's and Doctorate from The Pennsylvania University. He became chairman of the Art Department at Clarion State University in 1955, a position he held until 1970. He was chairman of the faculty committee for program and physical development of Venango Campus and served as the President's Representative to the Clarion Chamber of Commerce. In 1962, he became Director of Development and Campus Planning.
Dr. Spence moved in 1970 to head the Art Department at Mankato State University in Minnesota and in 1975 became Director of the School of Art at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. In 1979, he was appointed to chair the Department of Creative Arts at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. When he retired from UNCC in 1986, he and his wife returned to Pennsylvania.
In addition to teaching art, Dr. Spence was no stranger to creative expression. He himself was an artist. He worked in many mediums, but his specialty and favorite was watercolor painting. You could often find him creating art on family birthday cakes, personalized cards and banners for celebrations. People who received these treasure their collections of his work.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carol Carr Spence and their children, Dr. John R, Spence of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Catherine J. Spence and husband Robert Barnett of Richmond, VA; Dr. Carolyn Spence Cagle and husband Richard Cagle of Fort Worth, TX; Thomas C. Spence and wife, LuAnn of Shippenville; Dr. Mary F. Spence and husband Alan Green of Ann Arbor, MI. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, Tom J. Spence and wife Jill of Shippenville; Jodi Spence and fiancé Brian Jones, of Baltimore, MD; Amy Spence Samuels and husband Greg Samuels of Tampa, FL; Bryn Spence and wife Juanita of Edmonton, AB; Eiry Spence and husband, Ben Poltorak of Calgary, AB; Briana Spence Cagle of Irving, TX; Austin Green and Lindsay Green of Ann Arbor, MI. Three great-grandchildren also survive: Joseph Rodney Spence and Brooklyn Kristine Spence of Shippenville and Adilyn Grace Spence of Edmonton, AB.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Dr. Marion J. Spence and a great-grandson, Dominic Reid Spence.
Visitation will be Thursday, September 15th from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 PM at the Goble Funeral Home & Crematory in Clarion. Funeral services will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at 11 AM on Friday, September 16th with Fr. Monty Sayers and Pastor Randy Evans officiating. A Christian Wake service will be held on Thursday at 8:30 PM from the funeral home.
Interment will follow in the Brandon Cemetery in Seneca.
Full Military Honors will be given on Thursday evening at 7:00 PM at the funeral home by the Clarion American Legion Post 66.
Donations in his memory may be made to Clarion Forest VNA (www.cfvna.org), The Ghost Army (www.ghostarmy.org) or a charity of the donor's choice.
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