Lionel “Bud” Durham Spencer

Lionel Durham Spencer passed away peacefully on October 18, 2018.

Lionel was nicknamed Bud. He was born in San Francisco August 3, 1926 to Verna Dene Durham (Dene) Nov, 6 1899 – April 29, 1990 and Wardlow Stewart Thomas Spencer April 13, 1897 – June 1977, both from St. John, Kansas.

Bud and his brother Stewart Howard Kenneth Spencer May 28, 1924- April 11, 2016 were raised by Dene Spencer Grant and Henry Victor (HV) Grant April 19, 1887- October 9, 1973. Bud did not meet any of the Spencer’s until he was 18 years old. Bud and Stewart were raised with the last name Grant and at 18 years old they both changed their names back to Spencer.

Bud Spencer met the love of his life when he was 15 years old in 1941. He worked at Bowerman’s Pharmacy on Ocean and Junipero Sierra in San Francisco, CA. He was a motorcycle delivery person. My mom Kay worked as a counter girl at the same time. She was always told to stay away from the motorcycle drivers, bad boys, you know. They met when she was coming up from the basement in Bowerman’s and he was heading down the stairs. and were married September 12, 1946 in San Francisco CA. They were married until September 26, 2001 when Kathryn Ellen Zita Culverwell Spencer 2/28/1926- 9/26/2001 passed from cancer.

Bud attended Polytechnic High School. He joined the Marines in 1944 after seeing and hearing the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The Grant family was living in Waikiki while HV was an engineer on Sand Island. HV and Stewart Spencer helped with the cleanup of Wheeler Field and Bud Spencer helped to clean up Hickam Field after the destruction. Bud ended up at Pacific Bell for most of his career. He oversaw the entire system for DeAnza College in San Jose, CA and worked at the San Francisco Airport and his only communications client was United Airlines.

Bud joined the Marines in 1944, he was trained as a Recon Sniper. He went to Guadalcanal and was injured at the battle of Okinawa. Bud rose to the rank of Corporal. He was very proud of his service.