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A beautiful celebration of Mom's life was held at The Greenfield Hills Church the first weekend of November. Many friends and acquaintances shared their thoughts with the family, some of which I have saved below. Here are my words from the memorial, followed by a few from others that I liked… My remarks at my mother's memorial It gives me joy to see the reflections of my mother's love in so many faces here today. I have a quote, a story and a poem to share… "I imagine there are many who see hopes and plans developing... but who are not allowed to have, on this earth, the joy of seeing them completed. One can hope, as they labored with love in their heart, they will have a more perfect satisfaction than we can ever experience here". Eleanor Roosevelt spoke these words in London, England. 1948 In building a family, one joy mother shared with children was singing lullabies and reading stories aloud. The everyday world seemed to recede when she began. My favorite song was 'Shepar, show me'. And the book was one by Rudyard Kipling. Here's a bit of it... Mowgli whacked Shere Khan over the head with the glowing branch, and the tiger whimpered and whined in agony of fear. Pah singed jungle cat- go now! But remember when next I come to council rock, as a man should come, it will be with Shere Khan's hide on my head. And for the rest of you, Go!… Akela goes free to live as he pleases…. But, the rest of you- Go! The fire was burning furiously at the end of the branch, and Mowgli struck right and left around the circle, and the wolves ran howling with the sparks burning their fur. At last, there was only Akela, Bagheera, and perhaps ten wolves that had taken Mowgli's part. Then something began to hurt Mowgli inside, as he had never been hurt in his life before, and he caught his breath and sobbed, and tears ran down his face. "I do not know what this is. Am I dying, Bagheera?" No, Little Brother. That is only tears as men use. Now I know that thou art a man, and a man's cub no longer. The jungle is shut indeed to thee henceforth. Let them fall, Mowgli. They are only tears. Mowgli said "Now, I will go to men, but first, I will say farewell to my mother". And he went to the cave where she lived with Father Wolf, and cried on her coat, while the four cubs howled miserably. Ye will not forget me? said Mowgli. Never while we can follow a trail, said the cubs. "Come to the foot of the hill when thou art a man, and we will talk to thee; and we will come into the croplands to play with thee by night.
"Come soon" said father wolf, "oh wise little one, for we be old, thy mother and I". "I will surely come", said Mowgli, do not forget me. Tell them in the jungle never to forget me". Rudyand Kipling wrote The Jungle Book in the early 1900's While I wasn't raised by wolves, I was allowed to learn the hard way why cuts bleed, bones break, and bangs on the head make you see stars. As the rest of the world wrapped itself in ever more protective cocoons, mom had the courage and foresight to let us play like crazy monkeys. One might say I still do. And I am ever grateful for her guidance in the matter. She continues to be a spiritual beacon to me, and one whose loves grows stronger with the ages. This Irish poem caught the spirit...
A mother is a special gift,
If there is a special life,
Sleep on dear mother ~~ I am one in a million, to be sure, that has been blessed by knowing Nancy Spencer. Her capacity to love inspires me. She personified "angel on earth." It is a blessing to know her home was always in heaven. She brought such joy to the world… Tad and Beth Jones It sure makes one think twice about life when something happens to our parents. Life is so short so we have to make sure we appreciate everything and everyone as much as possible… Michael H. Scott Your mom was so incredibly kind and sweet, she will be missed. I remember how helpful she was to me back in the Money Hunt days on the set. I don't think anyone could set up a buffet lunch spread as good as her. Please tell your father you are all are in my prayers... Tim Savard Nancy Spencer was often referred to as "the mother of Moneyhunt," not just for her biological connection to one of the show's hosts, but for her steadying influence behind the scenes. In its earliest days, Nancy did everything from operating the camera to organizing the catering. As the show's success grew - along with the level of chaos - she remained the calm center during production weeks. And when you're hip-deep in anxious entrepreneurs, camera-shy consultants and over-caffeinated venture capitalists, you NEED a calm center. No matter what chaos was raining down around her, Nancy effortlessly made each MoneyHunt guest or crewmember feel welcome, needed, important - and in many cases, a little smarter than perhaps they actually were. That is a valuable asset in business - and a rare talent in life. Sleep well, Nancy. Your MoneyHunt family will miss you... Cindy Grogan I wanted to express my deep, heartfelt condolences to you and your family. At our most recent Bluefish event, I had the opportunity to speak with your mother at some length. She was warm, witty, sincere, incredibly caring and proud. We spoke about your niece' interest in food and she suggested that we sign her up as a junior apprentice… Drew Koven ~~Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Proverbs 31:38. In 1966 my family first met the Spencer family when we moved next door to the Spencers in Beaver, Pennsylvania. Our Julie was the same age as Miles, three years old. The Spencer household soon became Julie's second home as Julie's siblings were older and there were few little ones in the neighborhood. At age three or four Julie and Miles learned to swim in the Spencer pool, following the lead of Brad and Callie. Libbi was not far behind. By poolside, Nancy and I shared conversations on child rearing and life in general. Her radiant smile and positive attitude were inspirations to me upon many occasions. When the Spencers moved away, Nancy and I continued to communicate, by letter, occasional phone calls, and much later by e-mail. We shared joys and concerns about our children, Nancy always seeing a positive future. Nancy stayed at my home when she visited the area and my family stayed with the Spencers in their Stowe home, where, after many years, Julie's picture still graced the refrigerator with the young Spencers. Julie always considered the Spencers "her second family" and, as a very young child sometimes called herself "Julie Spencer." The Courtney family will long remember Nancy's laudable outlook on life, her laughter, and how she faced adversity. THE LIVING BIBLE, Proverbs 31:28 says, "Her children stand and bless her; so does her husband." This is a testimony to the character of Nancy Spencer and her far-reaching influence. She will be missed. Eleanor S. Courtney ~~How could anyone who knew Nancy not notice how she lit up a room when she walked in? Her presence exuded the essence of grace, self-confidence, dedication to her family, love of life, and genuine interest in the lives of others. I know of no one who loved life more than Nancy did. She was such a good sport and she loved to play. She'd go along with most things we dreamed up to do, even white-water rafting, which I think was against her better judgment, but she went with us anyway. I cherish the memories of her at Cedar Point. We had such fun together. I have always felt a special bond with Nancy. I'm not sure how it started or when it started, but I'm awfully glad it did. She has always been my hero. I always wanted to grow up to be like her and to grow old as gracefully as she did. I saw in her how to love my children, my husband and my family. She taught me to share the joy of others, to be modest, to believe in myself, to trust in God, and to pray. I'm not sure if she knew how much she affected my life. She had no idea how many times she was in my mind.
I will miss most the times we sat and talked about anything and everything. Looking back those times were way too few. Nancy never was judgmental, just honest and open. We shared our joys and our pains, our dreams and our disappointments. We loved our times together, and I eagerly awaited the reunions so we could renew our spirits. I want so much to see her and talk with her, but most of all I want to hug her. Her hug would ease my pain and dry my tears, but I must find comfort in knowing that God has her wrapped in His arms right now. I trust that someday Nancy and I will be embrace again and not be separated by time or distance. Peggy Manchester ~~All my childhood memories are of the Spencer family and 113 Windy Ghoul Drive. From age three to age twelve I was a permanent fixture in their home. I was never treated like a neighbor but always a member of their family. In fact I remember Mr. and Mrs. Spencer insisting that I get in the picture when they were having a family portrait taken. I also remember helping with the chores so the kids would finish them faster and we could play sooner. Whether it be swimming, exploring new areas of the house while it was under construction, going into the woods to swing, playing football in the front yard, climbing trees (particularly the apple tree in the front yard, right, Libbi?), or playing "Kidnapped," there was never a dull moment in the Spencer household. And Mrs. Spencer was always there to support us in whatever we would do.
Memories of her smiling face while she and I sang "The Sound of Music" © 2004, Miles Spencer. All Rights Reserved. Site by Bannerimage. |