Ronald Westbrook Spencer April 5, 1943 - January 20, 2025

Our hearts are broken as we announce the passing of our Dad, Ronald Westbrook Spencer 81, on Monday, January 20^th, 2025, at Timpanogos Hospital in Orem, Utah. Dad had many health issues over the years, but he would always bounce back because he didn’t think anyone could care for Mom like he did. He was right, but we promised to try.

Dad was born April 5^th, 1943, in Payson, Utah, the first child of Ronald Henry and Jeannie Vilate Westbrook Spencer. World War II was raging, and his father was serving in the United States Navy. It would be 2 years before Dad met his father.

He grew up in Thistle but his family moved around between Provo and Spanish Fork. He graduated from Spanish Fork High School and joined the U.S. Navy, excelling in communications. Even though he was in the Navy for 4 years, he never set foot on a ship. He served in Adak, Alaska and Kamisaya, Japan and always had a special place in his heart of those places and the men he served with.

This is where Mom comes in. Mom’s good friend was Dad’s cousin, and she tricked them into meeting, but we are so happy she did. Dad’s Uncle Paul V. Spencer performed the ceremony January 24^th, 1969, in the church on Main Street in Spanish Fork that has now been torn down. They will celebrate their 56^th anniversary on Friday. They were later sealed in the Manti Temple on March 30^th, 1971.

There was a lot of time between each of us kids and we were all spoiled rotten. Because of this, when people would ask how many children they had, they would reply that they had “three only children.” He later learned that he had a son from a previous relationship, and this led to many phone calls and road trips to build relationships.

Dad worked many jobs as a youth, from hauling hay to grooming his Uncle Orien’s racehorses. After the navy he worked at Geneva Steel during layoffs he worked on farms and cut trails at Timp Haven Ski Resort and was on the cement crew when I-15 was built. He was a miner in Montana when he got called back to Geneva. Dad always took pride in being on the only Father/son railroad crew (engineer/conductor) and when his father retired Dad became the engineer. Dad worked there for 20 years before Geneva shut down. He drove a tour bus for Lake Shore Lines with his Uncle Jack. He loved driving the Senior Citizens to Wendover each week. Dad was hired as a tour guide for the couple of years Geneva opened back up and was called “Captain Ron.” Later he worked as a night custodian at Springville High School and then transferred to Payson Junior High so he could work with Mom. Two days after he retired from the school district, he and Mom started working their favorite job as Camp Hosts at the Spanish Fork River Park. They enjoyed that position for 11 years and they missed meeting and caring for the people who stayed there.

Dad’s true gift was playing his guitar and singing. He was an outdoorsman and loved riding his horse, hunting and fishing. He loved rock hounding, geology, history, maps, food, classics, and musicals. Last year he earned his Ham radio operators license and really enjoyed the many hours he spent with the Ham radio club here in Payson working with Richard Duncan. He loved to learn.

More than anything he loved Mom. He lived to make her happy and they spent many hours going on rides, traveling to Mesquite and being snowbirds. She was his life.

He also loved his family with all his heart. Family meant everything to him, and he was involved in all their activities, but it was his grandchildren and great grandchildren that melted his heart.

Dad is now watching over our sweet, heartbroken Mom, Sandra Lee Spencer as well as his children Jeannie (Paul) Ashton, Becky (Sterling) Moore, Ryan Spencer and Shane Spencer, 12 Grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren with one on the way. He also struggled to leave his little sister, Marty Lance.

He is now with his parents Ronald Henry & Jeannie Vilate, siblings Lana (Doug) Farr, Dusty (Wendy) Spencer, Dixie Spencer, and brother-in-law Gordon Lance.

We are so grateful to those who cared for Dad at Mountain View Hospital, the LTAC, and Timpanogos Hospital this past month.

Down the road, Dad

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 12625 South Spring Lake Road in Payson, Utah. Visitation will be prior from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the church. There will also be visitation on Friday, January 24, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Walker Funeral Home, 587 South 100 West, Payson, Utah. Interment will be in Spanish Fork City Cemetery, 420 South 400 East, Spanish Fork, Utah.