Barry G. Spencer
March 10, 1934 ~ April 2, 2020
Barry G. Spencer of Hauppauge, NY on April 2, 2020. Barry was born in England on March 10, 1934. He served his country in the British Armed forces. He had the perfect British accent and is truly one of a kind.. He was a hilarious man that loved sharing stories especially with his grandchildren cherishing all the memories of sleepovers and late night ice cream sodas. He had a huge heart and was always ready in a moments notice to show care and help to others, especially his family. He was truly dedicated to his family and showed by example what true love and marriage is and how the love of family is the utmost important . Barry is now reunited with his beloved true love Patricia Spencer. Loving father of Donna (Michael) Roseman and Linda (Daniel) Braga. Cherished grandfather of Justin, Hailey, Katelyn, Julianna and Daniel.
My father , My hero , My world . I don’t even know how to comprehend any of this. You were always the one person standing in my corner cheering me on . You pushed me to be better and encouraged me to take risk . The moment mom died on July 15th , I took your hand and I vowed not to let go . You became my number one priority and all I wanted to do was make you smile. It hurts so much that you had to carry the burden of seeing mom collapse and slip away . The last nine months have been exhausting for you . Multiple surgeries , losing your leg , infection after the next BUT you kept your spirit up and kept fighting. You are a champion dad! You have the grit and grind that heroes are made of. You held onto Hope. The hope that you would get your prosthetic leg , go back home and start your new life. I know in my heart this isolation destroyed you. I wish things were different dad. I wish we could have been by your side the past three weeks. Life is unfair and uncertain right now . I love you more than any thing ! I am your twin ! The good the bad and the ugly! I will represent your name til the day I die and I will make your proud dad. I’m devastated . I pray you are back in moms arms , dancing to hello dolly and watching over us with love . I hate this so very much dad . You are my light . I am so grateful for our Instagram page . I will always cherish those memories . You are My heart .
Thank you dad and mom for showing me what unconditional love is. Thank you for the traditions. Thank you for my sister Donna . We will continue to carry on the Spencer legacy !
A testament to 86 full speed ahead years. You had a full life, laughing, joking, traveling, partying, building a successful business, a lifetime marriage to Grandma, building a loving family and loving life. And laughing and joking every step of the way. You gave me your beautiful daughter Donna’s hand in marriage. We brought your first 3 precious grandchildren Justin, Hailey and Katelyn into the world. You would become the best Grandpa I have ever seen.
You were a beloved dad to me from the time I was 22. The ironic part was that you were simply not ready to go. You were working so hard to get out of the nursing facility and get back to your own bed. We were so proud of you every step of the way. But you were called to duty and had to leave us. We will forever hold you in our hearts and continue to make you proud every day.
Barry Spencer was a one of a kind, a broke the mold, an exception to every rule man. His accent protected him as I often joked that he could curse you out and sound so loving and eloquent at the same time. Unique in every way, he left his iconic mark on everyone he touched. Our kids are blessed having had him and Grandma in their lives. They were the proudest grandparents you could ask for. The children will carry this love and a ton of incredible memories throughout their lives. One last time, I salute you BGS. A Wonderful Life! A wonderful soul! A wonderful man!
Thank you Dad for being the best daddy a girl could ever have , you truly are the strongest person I know and all you went through this year and how hard you worked and how you kept such a positive attitude through it all amazed me . I’m so shocked and heartbroken that you aren’t here anymore it was such a shock to us all . I want to thank you and Mom for a wonderful childhood for Linda and I filled with so much love and laughter and wonderful memories you two showed us what true love and marriage is and how the love of a family is the utmost important thing, my children your grandchildren cherish all the memories of sleepovers and late night ice cream sodas and how much fun and special you both made everything . We will carry on the legacy you and mom started witt our familes and hopefully they will witt theirs because the more people I meet I truly realize how very blessed linda and I were to be raised by you two , seeing the closeness we have with our cousins and family here and in England is all because of you and Mom and how you valued family . I can’t thank you enough dad for all your love suooort and encouragement I just hope you know how much we all loved you and will miss your stories and your humor because you sure lived a full life of adventure , I just know you had a lot more life to live but I do feel you needed to be with mom and now you aee red together again with your true love . Rest In Peace fiorecer dad and please watch over us all , we know how yeonabfekd to watch over us . Love you forever , abd I’ll forever be Daddy’s little girl , Donna xoxo
grandpa where do i begin. i’ve been crying everyday. just yesterday i told my dad i was going to take a drive but i really just went to drive down sandra dr and pull up to the childhood house. sitting there with the rain hitting my windshield i just looked up at the door and flashbacks of my childhood came up. me justin and katelyn running into your house to spend the day and then us leaving and grandma standing at the door waving goodbye. ill never forget the sleepovers and the huge breakfast in the morning. we would all run down for that! you were truly one of a kind! you were the type of grandpa who spoke the truth. especially when i would come see you and i would come from the gym with my hair in a tight bun and would say “why is your hair like that, shower before you see me!” you lived such a long amazing life. i’ll miss hearing all your crazy life stories especially the war ones. and miss the british accent of yours! i wake up every morning and go to sleep every night wishing i could come over to you and grandmas house and just chat one more time and hug you and kiss you both. i will never forget when you would say i love you it melted my heart i got so happy because you didn’t say that too often. but when you did i would tear up but of happiness.i wish we could all have a family dinner again. i wish we could all have that prayer before dinner and say how happy we all we’re to be healthy and have you and grandma with us. grandpa, you and grandma started our family, creating a huge legacy it’s sad to say you closed out this era in all our lives. you closed the book. ended the biggest chapter. but i can say with all my heart i wouldn’t of wanted any other grandparents then you and grandma. i miss you tremendously and grandma too. I hope that you, grandma and Lola are up in heaven smiling down on us. i love you forever and ever please watch over us and keep us all safe❤️🙏🏻
Grandpa, there will never be any words to describe the type of grandpa you truly were. I’ll never be able to hear that perfect British accent again and that kills me because I always wanted to be able to have that accent just like you. What I would do to be back on our last flight to England talking about all your childhood stories. I wish I was able to take you for a nice long drive in my car and you could see in action how you thought I was the perfect driver because of the cadillac you and grandma bought me when I was younger. I always remember when all 3 of us would sleepover grandma and grandpas house and we would always leave singing “‘my old mans a dustman ” or you singing “short people got no reason to live” to me and Hailey. You truly were such a strong and special person, and it goes to show as you named your leg Peter J. Stump just to get a laugh out of all of us. I wish we could have one last time where we drive over to grandma and grandpas house and play games all night, have ice cream sodas at 2am and wake up to a huge breakfast. I don’t think I could ever explain to anyone the way you and grandma were but everyone knew the love you both had for each other despite the constant bickering. I will never forget all the laughs you brought me and I will continue to make you and grandma proud. I will forever miss you but I know you will be watching down on all of us with grandma and Lola. I love you so much grandpa❤️😘
Barry, you and Pat are more missed then you will ever know. I have so many fond memories of you both from the time I met you when Aunt Donna and Uncle Mike were getting married, to fun times out on your boat when I would come to visit. Anyone who knew you and Pat were instantly family. Your British accent and quick wit are unforgettable. I loved discussing which Seinfeld character you and Pat were and sharing Seinfeld jokes. Seeing you at parties on Long Island was always something to look forward to, you and Pat were like third sets of grandparents to us. Over the last year, we saw you persevere over adversity with not only an amazing strength but also with an incredible sense of humor. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those who loved you, what an amazing life, but especially with your children and grandchildren who you adored and who adored you in return.
Oh Barry. You hilarious human being. I told Christian yesterday that you were like the perfect cookie. Crunchy on the outside, but warm and gooey on the inside. You were full of quips and sarcasm, but had a big heart ready at a moment’s notice to show care for others- especially your family. I will be forever grateful for the time we got to spend together, bonding over goat cheese, good jazz, and great conversation. I’ll never forget the hours spent marveling at the lyrical magic of Cole Porter! Above all, you allowed me to help in a time of need, and that was one of the greatest gifts I could have ever received. It takes a courageous heart to depend on others. When you passed away, I was dancing with a group of people from all over the world to create peace. And felt it. I felt the heaviness of grief in the rhythmic swells of the bass. After the dance, I wrote down a reflection saying that sorrow was part of the journey towards a greater peace. It wasn’t until later that evening I found you had passed from this realm. I know you are filled with peace, relaxing in the clouds of heaven with Pat, looking down at the mess below muttering some remark about all the hooligans in this world. I thank you for your endless support and belief in me as a human being, and a musician. Your dream of me standing beside a grand piano, wearing a men’s tux, and singing classic jazz is one I hope to fulfill one day. I was going to sing and play ‘Feeling Good’ on the guitar for you when I called Wednesday, but we rescheduled for Thursday. Unfortunately, that call was never made. But now, everytime I sing that song will be a performance for you, watching me from the heavens. I love you Barry.
You say “CHEESE,” we say “WHITE CASTLE!!” There’s so much about our lives that would not have been possible without you. Well of course, you left England and that’s where our story began! I gotta say, you embody so much of the ambition and passion I hope to capture in my own life. I learned to dress “smart” from you. We had Christmas pudding and Tia Maria every Christmas- an important tradition! I remain astounded by your skills in eating taco bell with a knife and fork. We had SO MANY chats together about the important topics of your life and mine!! OH and i even got you to sing at the Ringo concert with me last year! It’s great that we got to go to that concert together.
Thank you for always taking such interest in my pursuit of this PA degree & I’m glad you got to see my white coat. I can’t thank you enough for the strength you’ve showed our family during the past year. You faced your situation with mental strength I’ve never seen before. It’s devastating that we could not be there for you in person over the past few weeks. What’s next for you- I do not know but I know it will be glorious and empty of pain. I hope you’re with Grandma again soon. I’m rambling but I’ll miss you terribly Grandpa.
Grandparents truly make for the best friends. There’s so many pictures amongst my family that I wish I could share with the world. A great man that I will never forget- he would never let me!! I hope to work as hard as he did and love with as much of myself as he did for my Grandma. Always eager to talk about nearly anything, and always so full of humor. May you rest in peace, Grandpa.
In recognition of the isolation between us and how it has led to such long stretches of time apart… PLEASE reach out to your loved ones- your grandparents, your parents, siblings, and your friends. We need each other immensely. Thank you for the kind words and support.
My Deepest condolences at this time. My heart is broken for my beautiful friend Linda and her family. Her love for her father was clear and they were so close. During this difficult time they needed each other and couldn’t be together. My heart just breaks for them. I just pray that Linda can find peace and comfort that mom and dad are together again. No one is in pain. I love you Linda!! The video’s you posted these past few weeks have lifted me up and made me laugh. I can’t wait to eat beans and toast. You are very special to me and I wish I could be with you today to hold you up.
Linda I am so sorry for you and your family. I send my love and deepest Sympathy in this very difficult time. From the short time I knew your father I found him to be so much like you it is obvious why you had such a special bond. You brought him joy everyday with your love and humor and I loved to smile and chuckle at all your IG posts @beansontoast_dad. He will always be with you and he was never alone! 💗🙏🏻
We talked to Barry after he lost his leg. How are You? I’m so relived and Happy “The Bloody”(his famous term that we loved) is Gone! He then went on to say He was going to tell everyone that he lost it in the War! It was blown up . Boom 💥 and had all the sound effects. We laughed so hard. His British Accent was Amazing.
We Loved him so Much.🥰❤️
I will truly miss Mr. Spencer. I’m grateful Linda, one of my best friends from college, has allowed me to feel like I was part of their family. I’ve known both Mr. and Mrs. Spencer and feel a deep loss as I considered them part of my family as well. I will miss Mr. Spencer’s hilarious wit and brutal honesty. He’s made me blush on many occasions. What I remember most of all was his kindness toward me and his family. Truly a great man who will be missed dearly!
Peter Smith
To The Roseman and Braga Family,
Even the social distancing couldn’t keep the love everyone has for you, your family and your Dad away! Just the number of viewers said it all! What a tough year you’ve all had! Like Linda said: they are together, dancing, smoking and in PEACE! Our sympathetic hearts, prayers and love are with you all, and know what a tremendous loss you have all suffered. The service was beautiful and we all got to know what a wonderful, kind, funny, all around great guy your dad was to all! Rest in peace. Love to all, Robyn and Maryanne Detweiler and family
Dear Linda and Family,
I was so sorry to hear about your dad. My deepest condolences.
Virginia Smith
Dear Family, so hard not to be there
With you in person, but I was in thought and prayer, and the visual service. I don’t have to tell you how I feel, I will truly miss him . He was one of a kind, and yes him and your Mom should have had there own show, I love them both so much.
Donna & Linda,
memory to share..
Bahamas many years ago, before we had children of our own, we were still children !
My Dad, Uncle Tony, crashed your parents family vacation~ so the memory.. Uncle Barry PARASAILING high over the beautiful water ‘ and us watching~ as I recall HE went 1st?! & then I went~ so beautiful from high above and I hope his view now is far better! and am confident he is smiling the certain way only he does.
Dear Donna and Linda. The world is a poorer place for the loss of your dear Dad Barry, but he has left the lives of people he knew so much richer. His proud legacy is two beautiful daughters and the families you have created with your fine husbands. You can be as proud to have had him as your father as he and lovely Pat were proud to have you both as their girls.
I only spent small amounts of time with Barry being ‘over the pond’ in England but I remember his ready chuckle and the twinkle in his eye, his plain speaking, and his positive view of life and his genuine interest in others. By the way – over here we always thought he had developed an American accent ! He always struck me as someone who was generous both in kind and in spirit, and above all else he loved his family. The pain of his sudden departure will pass and leave you free to treasure the good memories you have,
I have had the privilege to watch the Service online today and my heart goes out to all of you. Thank you all for sharing this moving moment with us.
Take care and God Bless.
Love
Andrew
The photo was taken in August 1951 at Dyson and Sheila’s wedding. Barry, a few years younger, standing between his uncles Harry (Dyson’s father) on his right and Joe Black on his left. On the front row left to right are his Auntie Dora (Dyson’s mother), his mum, Auntie Floss and Cousin Dot.
Dear Linda, Dan and family
Harry and I were so sad to hear of the passing of your dad. To be sure this has been a very difficult year for your family. Although we did not know your dad very well, we know from hearing you talk about him how close you were and how much you cared for him. Unfortunately due to current circumstances we cannot be there for you but please know we are thinking and praying that you will get through this terrible and sudden loss. Stay strong keep your head up and think about your parents happy together in heaven.
Love Kathy and Harry Herzog