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Jim passed away in Fort Lauderdale, Fl., May 30, 2014 at the age of 72, after a recent illness.
He was the son of Dr. and Mrs. James Carroll Spence. He is survived by his mother, Mattie, of Madisonville and Rochester; his daughters, Julie Ann Spence of Fort Lauderdale, Fl. and Katherine Trapp Spence of Honduras; and one son, John Rolland Spence of Lexington Ky. He was preceeded in death by his father and his only brother Richard Carroll Spence of Madisonville.
Jim was an international entrepreneur and lived the last years of his life in Belize and Honduras. He will be greatly missed by his many friends in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida, and his Honduran family Franco, Rita and Alfredo.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am Saturday, June 14, at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Madisonville. Contributions may be made to the trust for his daughter, Katherine, two years of age, to Julie Spence. juliespence@comcast.net/954-205-0568.
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Gwyn James (Morton)
John (Morton MHS '59) and I treasure the special day we spent in 2012 in Honduras with Jim, and Connie (Dickerson '61) and David Jordan ('60). Life passes too quickly, and it's times like this that make it special. (Gwyn James Morton)
Susan Priest (Gailis)
fond memories of jim being a part of festivities at youth center after high school ball games and municipal park dances. he was always polite, friendly and a good dancer. the bop was his forte. he and his family hosted my wedding shower in 1962 as well as attended my wedding. ann was one of my bridesmaids. we kept in touch through his mother and more recently email until a few yrs. ago. nice family. susan
Barry Kington
I remember a number of events with Jim and almost all I can talk about.
My first car was a Model A, that did not run, that I had traded to Jim a "WW-1" water cooled machine gun for his Model A. The Model A was in need of to much money and my old machine gun did not work because the guts were gone.
Down at the Youth Center one night someone light a 'Cherry Bomb' then dropped it in the toilel and flushed it. Poor toilet broke in half but the water keep running.
Years later we bump into each other and talk about business. One of those times I had a first date with a woman in Lexington and as we waited for a table who should walk in but Jim. He joined us at the bar and Jim and I started talking about business - its good and bad. When a table was open he joined us for a while as we continued business talk. After he left she told me she did not understand most of the business Jim and I talked about but found it interesting. After supper, as I took her home, she said she like not want to go out me again because Jim and I were to nerve-racking. Wish I had know earlier her thoughts and I would have bought all of Jim's drinks.
Most, if not all, of Jim and my interactions were business. I enjoyed talking with Jim on business issues because he was open with his thoughts. Not many people are such.