Adrian Porter (Joe) Spencer

Adrian Porter (Joe) Spencer passed away in Columbia Falls on Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 with his family by his side.

Joe was born in Rolla, N. D., on Sept. 12, 1922 to Caroline and Adrian Spencer. The family moved to Shelby where Joe attended school and met his future wife, Shirley, a good friend of his younger sister, Jeanne. He graduated high school in 1941 and enlisted in the Navy.

After basic training in San Diego, Joe received electrical training at the University of Minnesota. He became an Electrician 1st Class, and went to sea on the USS Grifton Submarine Tender. It was on leave from the Navy that Joe took Shirley on their first date. They corresponded via letters while Joe was stationed in Australia, the Philippines, and Hawaii; and were married on Oct. 15, 1945 in Shelby.

Joe and Shirley moved to the Columbia Falls area in 1946 when Joe took a job working for the Bureau of Reclamation at Hungry Horse Dam. He took a job as an electrician at the Columbia Falls Aluminum Plant in 1954, he retired from the Plant in 1984.

The couple's first son, David, was born in 1947, Stephen followed in 1949, and Bob in 1954.

Some of Joe's favorite times were spent camping and boating with his boys in Glacier Park. Joe was an avid golfer into his senior years and particularly enjoyed attending athletic events at Columbia Falls schools, where his sons and grandchildren have been active through the years. Joe and Shirley have always enjoyed traveling, and spent 15 winters as snowbirds in Arizona.

Joe is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley; their 3 sons: David, Stephen and wife Peggy, and Bob and wife Cathy; 7 grandchildren: Corinne, Jessica and Marcelle Wood, Ross and Lindsey, Callie, Cami, Tim, and Megan; one great-grandchild: Autumn, and many nieces and nephews of the Burnham family.

Services will be held on Friday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. at St. Richard's Catholic Church in Columbia Falls with a reception to follow.

Columbia Mortuary is handling arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Montana State Veterans' Home in Columbia Falls, or the Columbia Falls Athletic Endowment Fund.

Joe's family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the nurses and staff at the Veterans' home in Columbia Falls for their exceptional care of all of us in his final months and days.