Clayton Leigh Spencer

Clayton Spencer, longtime resident of Springfield, Mo., and member of First Baptist Church, passed away Jan. 14, 2014. He was born in Lawrence, Kan., to Ira H. and Anna E. Spencer on Aug. 19, 1925. He spent his formative years in Elmdale, Kan., and Fayetteville, Ark. He attended Fayetteville High School and volunteered for the Army Air Corps at age 17. He served as a ball turret gunner in the 64th Bomb Squad, 43rd Bomb Group, 5th Air Force in the Pacific Theater. On June 10, 1947, he married Billie Lee Logue, his high school sweetheart, soul-mate and wife of 66 years. After graduating from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark., "Coach Spencer" taught and coached junior high football and basketball in Fayetteville until he was called back into service during the Korean Conflict where he served at Fort Hood, Texas. Upon returning to Fayetteville, Clayton received his master's degree from the University of Arkansas, then taught school and coached football and track at Fayetteville High School from 1954 through 1960. His football team went 10-0 in 1957, a record that still stands today. In 1960, he accepted the head-coaching job at Central High School in Springfield where he taught and coached football and tennis through 1976. At one point during his coaching career in Missouri, his Central Bulldogs ranked second in the state. The Bulldogs were conference champs in 1963 and in 1967; his team had a 9-1 season. The following year his team went undefeated again for nine games and three quarters before losing a late-scoring heartbreaker. He spent several more years serving in the school district as a homeschool counselor and retired from the Springfield School System in 1986. In 2005, former players at Fayetteville High honored Coach Spencer by erecting the Clayton Spencer Bell Tower at the Harmon Playfield Football Complex. Clayton was humbled by the unexpected tribute. Clayton is preceded in death by his parents, Ira and Anna; his brother, Stanley Spencer; and his sister, Lois Spencer. He is survived by wife, Billie of Springfield; his sister, Ila Mae Whitlock of Elmdale, Kan.; sister-in-law, Carolyn Haskin of Byrnes Mill, Mo.; son, Steve and wife, Debby, of Bowling Green, Ky.; son, Scott and wife, Mary Max, of Katy, Texas; grandchildren, Beau Spencer of Vienna, Va., Tyler Spencer of Lawrence, Kan., Courtney and 2nd Lt. Jon Neill of Lawton, Okla., and Ryan Spencer of Katy, Texas; niece, Sylvia Orton of Little Rock, Ark.; nephew, Robert and Barbara Spencer of Winnetka, Ill.; niece, Karmen and Bob Shaw of Rio Hondo, Texas; niece, Gwen and Galen Simmons of Elmdale, Kan.; nephew, Edward Haskin of Terre Haute, Ind.; nephew, Jon Haskin of House Springs, Mo.; niece, Celeste and Larry Warren of House Spring, Mo.; and nephew, Mike and Christine Haskin of Byrnes Mill, Mo. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his name to: Veterans Mount Vernon Home Assistance League, 1600 S. Hickory St., Mount Vernon, MO 65712; or First Baptist Church, 525 South Ave., Springfield, MO 65806. Friends are cordially invited to celebrate Clayton's life. Visitation will be at the First Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo., Monday, Jan. 20, 2014, at 9:30 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. A graveside burial will be held Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, at 9 a.m. in Missouri Veterans Cemetery. Online condolences may be made at gormanscharpf.com.