William ‘Bill’ Spence

William “Bill” Spence, 80, of Aurora, Colorado, passed away Saturday, September 16, 2017 at Peregrine Senior Living in Aurora.

A graveside service for Bill Spence will be held at Riverside Cemetery in Charles City, Iowa at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017 where he will be buried next to his parents. Pastor Forrest Cornelius from First Congregational Church will officiate.

William LeRoy Spence was born in Chicago, Illinois, July 29, 1937 to Joseph C. and Ermaline (Krizan) Spence. He graduated from Palos Park (Chicago) Grade School and attended La Grange High School (LTHS) prior to the family moving to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. There Bill graduated from Merrill Junior High School and then went on to graduate from Oshkosh High School in 1955. After attending the chemical engineering school at the University of Wisconsin, he joined the navy as a Naval Aviation Cadet. Bill graduated from the Navy’s Pre-Flight School at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. Later he served at Corpus Christi, Texas. Bill retired from the navy with a disability pension.

Bill had an interest in music and sports. He enjoyed swimming, snow skiing, ice skating, baseball, football, basketball, soccer, hiked Pikes Peak and bicycled from Charles City, Iowa to New Orleans, Louisiana. At Oshkosh he was class treasurer, an intramural wrestler, self- taught on the clarinet and played the trombone and piano in the school band. His repertoire went from Bumble Boggy to Rachmaninoff.

Bill participated in the Golden Gloves boxing tournament while at the University of Wisconsin. Later he was on a YMCA swim team. Bill earned college money by delivering newspapers, setting pins and as a steeple jack painting electrical transmission river crossing towers as high as 250 feet.

Bill is survived by his sister, Terry; brothers: Jerry (Karen) and Joseph “Hip”; as well as nieces, nephews and cousins.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Christopher.

Hauser Funeral Home, (641) 228-2323, in Charles City, is in charge of local arrangements. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hauserfh.com.