Lawrence Douglas Spencer

Lawrence Douglas Spencer, 67, passed away unexpectedly at home in Fitchburg, MA, on Saturday, April 12, in the presence of his beloved wife Karen Anne (Brown) Spencer. Larry was born on September 18, 1957, to Douglas Murray and Janet Dixon (Bushman) Spencer in Philadelphia, PA, and grew up primarily in Devon, PA. In 1979, Larry graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wesleyan University, winning the McKinsey & Company Clee Scholarship as the "most promising future businessperson" in his class. Over the following 46 years, Larry pursued a distinguished career as a software developer, first at a predecessor company to Cigna and most recently as a software architect at MedAcuity, specialists in software for medical devices. Among his other professional accomplishments, he co-authored Reliable JavaScript: How to Code Safely in the World's Most Dangerous Language.

Far more important to Larry, however, were his accomplishments as a family man. He was a loving son to Doug and Janet and brother to Tom and Sue. His greatest joy in life was being father to Jared, Zachary, Eliza, Sarah, Laura, and Eve whom he had with his former wife, Diane. Together they raised them with the utmost thoughtfulness and love at their home in Marlborough, MA. As a father, Larry’s greatest gift was his ability to provide unqualified support to his children, never imposing expectations other than that they make the most of their gifts and interests, and act with kindness. He reveled in their achievements and growing families. In later years he was promoted to grandfather of Colby, Jordan, Susan, Grayson, Mekki Gaith, Logan, and Yamuna Kalyani. He was ecstatic to be able to engage in his grandchildren’s curiosity and enthusiasm for the world and was actively passing on his love of chess and music to the next generation. In 2018, Larry married Karen Brown, whom he loved dearly, who extended his family to include her daughters Christine and Kimberley, their spouses Mekki and Josh, and Christine and Mekki's son Mekki Gaith. Together, Larry and Karen established a home in Fitchburg, MA where they sometimes hosted the Boston Classical Guitar Society gatherings. True to his inquisitive nature, he became a member of the Social Philosophizers discussion group. He was also delighted when he found out the Wachusett Chess Club was held only a mile from their home. He told Karen that if he had known of this proximity while they were deciding whether to purchase this house, he would have deliberated no further.

In addition to his lifelong passions for the classical guitar and for chess, Larry loved the natural world. As soon as they could walk— and even before— one of his most cherished activities was to take his children for long walks in the woods where he would tell them stories and talk about life. Later he also shared these times with Karen and even proposed on one such walk through nature. He would often stop to marvel at how the light passed through the leaves and relished examining the night sky with his grandchildren. As an inveterate player of cards and board games, Larry was fiercely competitive but always a good sport, offering a “consolation round” to anyone who might want to continue playing. He was happy for any opportunity to laugh and groan over the course of a game with those whose company he enjoyed (i.e., anyone who wanted to play a game with him). He never lost his exuberance and enthusiasm and was known for looking around eagerly at every family gathering to say, “So does anyone want to play a game yet?” (Luckily for him they did). His openness to life meant that he was always eager to discuss with others their passions, and to incorporate their perspectives into his understanding of the world. Larry’s smile and optimism could lift even the most fraught moments for those around him, whether a challenging corporate meeting or a difficult life event. 

Above all, Larry will be remembered for his unshakable integrity, quiet brilliance, and generous heart – a man who built a life around love, curiosity, and connection. He had found great peace and happiness and he is missed by his friends and his family, including wife Karen Spencer of Fitchburg, MA; parents Doug and Janet Spencer of Kennett Square, PA; brother Tom and sister-in-law Carolyn (Urner) Spencer of Glenside, PA; sister Sue (Spencer) and brother-in-law Doug Houston of Danbury, NH; son Jared Spencer, son-in-law Joshua Dumas, and granddaughter Susan Spencer- Dumas of New York, NY; son Zachary, daughter-in-law Mary (Ionno), and grandsons Grayson and Logan Spencer of Westminster, MA; daughter Eliza Spencer and grandsons Colby and Jordan Nelson of Wakefield, MA; daughter Sarah Spencer and son-in-law Nathan Hunt of Northborough, MA; daughter Laura Iyengar, son-in-law Varadha Balaji Venkadakrishnan, and granddaughter Yamuna Kalyani Iyengar of Boston, MA; daughter Eve Spencer of Easton, MA; step daughter Christine Gamboa, her partner Mekki Khallady, and grandson Mekki Gaith Khallady of Endoia, Spain; and step daughter Kimberley Corwin and her partner Joshua Hewitt of Fort Collins, CO. Larry was also an avid lover of dogs and will be missed by his grand-dogs Rosie, Bailey, Mika, and Leo.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a memorial donation to alivingtribute.org where you can have a tree planted in Larry’s honor. A gathering in Massachusetts to celebrate Larry’s life will be organized for May 3 rd , 2025. To register your interest in receiving information about that event, visit Larry Spencer Celebration of Life. It is asked that you please respond by April 23rd.