CHARLES D. SPENCER, ENS, USN
Charles Spencer '26
Lucky Bag
From the 1926 Lucky Bag:
Charles Donald Spencer
Honesdale, Pennsylvania
"Mac"
WELL now, you see, here are five letters. They should bring five answers, shouldn't they?" Then for a whole week he would watch the mailman pass the door. However, it was not always fruitless.
Regardless of the game, he stuck until he gained personal satisfaction. He even worked for four years learning to guard his nose, and though never gaining renown, he became accomplished. One prevailing hobby was the blowing of some weird instrument; and if it was not weird he made it so. This was probably his way of getting solitude.
Mac held his perch with the Chapel warblers for four years—every Saturday morning giving us the merry Ha! Ha! at drill. Nevertheless, it was not so much the harmony that attracted him as the advantageous view of the week-end drags.
As a song bird he was a canary, as a Snake—a rattler.
Glee Club (3, 2, 1); Choir (4, 3, 2, 1); Boxing Squad (3); Class Boxing (4); Black N *; Class Track (1).
Charles Donald Spencer
Honesdale, Pennsylvania
"Mac"
WELL now, you see, here are five letters. They should bring five answers, shouldn't they?" Then for a whole week he would watch the mailman pass the door. However, it was not always fruitless.
Regardless of the game, he stuck until he gained personal satisfaction. He even worked for four years learning to guard his nose, and though never gaining renown, he became accomplished. One prevailing hobby was the blowing of some weird instrument; and if it was not weird he made it so. This was probably his way of getting solitude.
Mac held his perch with the Chapel warblers for four years—every Saturday morning giving us the merry Ha! Ha! at drill. Nevertheless, it was not so much the harmony that attracted him as the advantageous view of the week-end drags.
As a song bird he was a canary, as a Snake—a rattler.
Glee Club (3, 2, 1); Choir (4, 3, 2, 1); Boxing Squad (3); Class Boxing (4); Black N *; Class Track (1).
Loss
Charles was lost on February 12, 1928 in a parachuting accident near Culver City, California. He was survived by his mother. From the article: "Investigation into the tragedy has ended with the report of a naval board of inquiry that the young officer met death through an accident not in the line of duty." From researcher Kathy Franz: "Charles leaped with a privately owned parachute from a commercial airplane. He went to get more parachute training, and he made one successful jump. The second jump was a delayed-opening jump, but he waited too long, and the parachute did not open." Another article has some additional details.
Other Information
The 1927 and 1928 Navy Directories list him aboard USS California (BB 44). Date of birth from Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps 1927.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Charles' descendants arrived in the Boston area in 1636 and many thereafter lived in Connecticut. In 1817 Russell Spencer arrived in Honesdale and set up a blacksmith shop. Charles father Frederick was born in 1863, and he owned a drug store and was a druggist for a while. His mother was born Esther Muir, and she married Frederick on May 28, 1898. Charles was known by his middle name Donald. His brother William became a master watch maker, and his sister Rowena became Mrs. Roger Hadsall. Charles was named for his uncle Charles who owned a jewelry store in Honesdale.
Memorial Hall Error
Charles' loss, per the board of inquiry, was not in the line of duty. He should not be listed in Memorial Hall.
Charles is one of 36 members of the Class of 1926 on Virtual Memorial Hall.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
