Dr. Michael S. Spencer

Dr. Michael S. Spencer died from complications of stroke at his residence in Cedar Falls, Iowa on August 21, 2017. Mike was the adoring husband of Susan for over 45 years and loving father to Kathleen Spencer, Cynthia Gillette (Jeff), Kelsey Stark (Nick), Andrew Spencer, and Austin Spencer. He was also a doting grandfather to Michael, Isaiah, and Ethan Gillette, Caden McKinney, Colin and Elizabeth Stark.

Mike was born in Oak Park, IL on September 12, 1949 to Frank and Helen (Zezulak) Spencer. He graduated from Rich East High School in 1967 and attended Southern Illinois University (SIU) at Carbondale on a full scholarship through the United States Air Force (USAF), earning a BS in Economics. He graduated from SIU and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the USAF in 1971. He married the former Susan Switzer on December 27, 1971.

Following 4 years of service Mike was honorably discharged at the rank of Captain. He went onto become a supervisor at the John Deere Engine Works in Waterloo, IA from 1976 to 1987 and to earn an MBA from the SIU at Edwardsville and an M.S. in Economics from the University of Northern Iowa UNI. Mike was a long time active executive board member of the American Production and Inventory Control Society. During his tenure with John Deere, Mike discovered his passion for research and teaching while working as an adjunct professor for UNI and Upper Iowa University (UIU). After his early retirement from John Deere in 1987, Mike worked full-time as an assistant professor at UIU for two years before being accepted into the doctoral program in Business Administration at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, GA in 1989.

Mike completed his Ph.D. in 1992 and was immediately offered a position as an assistant professor at UNI in the Curris College of Business, and returned to Cedar Falls that same year. He rapidly attained tenure and a promotion to Associate Professor and is well-known as one of the most published professors in the history of both the college and the university. Mike also authored three management textbooks and co-authored the American Production and Inventory Control Society dictionary during his academic career. He retired from UNI in 2013, a few years after reaching the rank of full professor. During his retirement, he divided his time between his family, particularly his grandsons, and the parish within which he was active for over 25 years, St. Stephen the Witness in Cedar Falls, as he was a devout, lifelong Roman Catholic.

Mike is survived by his devoted wife of 45 years, his 5 children, 2 sons-in-law, and 6 grandchildren. He is also survived by two sisters, Mary (George) Schroeder and Joan Spencer-Amado, both of Columbia, SC. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Teri Spencer, and his son-in-law, Jason McKinney.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. September 9, 2017, at St. Stephen The Witness Catholic Student Center, with burial at Greenwood Cemetery, both in Cedar Falls. Visitation will be 4—6:00 p.m. September 8, at Dahl-Van Hove-Schoof Funeral Home, where a 4:00 p.m. rosary service will be conducted. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to a charity Mike supported throughout his entire adult life, CARE, www.care.org. Online condolences may be left at www.DahlFuneralHome.com.