Earl Lee “Buddy” Spencer, 77 of Valparaiso, passed away Monday, April 27, 2026. He was born on May 11, 1948 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Harvey and Lola (McCann) Spencer. Earl served in the U.S. Army Reserves as Sergeant 1st Class and made his career as a bond trader working at Continental Bank and Goldenberg Hehmeyer & Company, retiring in 2016. He was an active member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Valparaiso, was known to be Mr. Fix It and very handy around the house, and loved his sweets, especially chocolate donuts. Above all else, Earl was a devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather who will be greatly missed.
Earl is survived by his loving wife, Carol L. (Phillips) Spencer; sons, John David (Beth) Spencer and Joshua (Marielle) Spencer; grandchildren, Meredith, Mila, and Madeline; and his sister, Vicki (Chris) Fleissner. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Jackie Silkwood.
A Visitation will be held on Friday, May 1, 2026 from 3:00-7:00 PM at Moeller Funeral Home 104 Roosevelt Rd., Valparaiso, with a Funeral Service on Saturday, May 2nd at 10:00 AM at Immanuel Lutheran Church 1700 N. Monticello Park Drive, Valparaiso. Entombment will follow at Calumet Park Cemetery, Merrillville. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church and School, Alzheimer's Association, or the American Cancer Society.
GUESTBOOK
Sad to hear about Uncle Buddy. Wish I could be there. He will be greatly missed. Praying for our whole family. Sending lots of love!! -Tanya Silkwood
Carol— I was deeply saddened to hear of your husband’s passing. Please accept my heartfelt condolences. He was a remarkable person, and his memory will live on through the love and kindness he shared. Wishing you strength and peace during this difficult time. I’m so sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you during this painful time. I hope you find comfort in the memories you shared and in the care of those who love you. -Steffus Family
My condolences go out to the entire Spencer family and especially to my dear cousin Carol! I personally met Earl before he and Carol were married and always liked him. He had a good sense of humor for one thing! I know he loved Carol and his family and greatly enjoyed being a grandfather! May he rest in peace. -Susan Crain
Condolences to the family of Earl. Holding him in our hearts and sending blessings for your peace and joy of your fond memories. Love from your cousin Patricia in Phoenix, Az. -Patricia Wakefield
Carol, Sending you and your boys my prayers and sympathy now and always. Earl will be missed. With deepest condolences, -Shannon Gonzales
I will always remember Earl for his devotion to his family, community and all the young traders in Chicago that he helped shaped into successful young men. RIP, Earl - you had a profound impact on my life and so many others that were fortunate enough to work for you at such an early point in our careers. Hands down, the best mentor and boss I've ever had. -Tom Kane
Dear Carol and family, we are so sorry for your loss. Earl was an amazing man and a wonderful friend. Always smiling and his laughter was joyous. He will be missed. Wishing you all peace at this time. Love, -The Deschamps family
Condolences on the passing of your father Josh. I hope you and the family get the strength to accept His will and find peace. -Joban Marwah (SF)
Carol, We are very sorry to learn of your loss. Earl was always a kind and smiling friend when we would see him around Shorewood. He would always ask about our kids, Jess and Nick. We know you and your family will always miss him. God Bless, -Glenn and Dawn Vician
Remembering Earl from Highland High and his upbeat and friendly personality. My sympathy to his family knowing he will be greatly missed. -JoAnne Mankin Haberkorn
Dear Spencer family. We we are all very sad about your loss. Big loss for everyone that knew him. We had great times during our Shorewood days and had so much fun with our kids. I remember our road trip to Space Camp and our wedding veil connection from before ever knew each other. Earl was hilarious and I loved his laugh. Thoughts and prayers from our family. -The Werner family
We have been so sad since hearing about Earl’s passing. We raised our little blonde boys together and have so many happy neighborhood memories. Our thoughts are with all of you during this difficult time. Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We love you, Carol! So glad you have your wonderful sons at this time. -The Graessle Family
I had the honor of being Earl’s Boss for what was probably a couple of decades and I can truly say that he was one of the all-time great people in my life. Earl touched peoples’ lives in a positive way that can’t be fully described, but it can certainly be deeply appreciated. He was a mentor to many and a friend to all! Thank you, Earl. -Chris Hehmeyer
Carol, John David, Josh, and families, We're so sorry to learn of Earl's passing. We're holding you close in prayer, and wish you peace. God bless you all. -Len & Michele Tarnow
Dear Carol, I'm so sorry to hear of Earl's passing. We worked together for several years at Goldenberg Hehmeyer. Earl was such a pleasant, happy person and he brought that wherever he went. He was a great man and a fast friend. I admired him very much. My sincere condolences to you and the family. -Deb Rabichow
Carol & Family, It was so very sad to hear of Earl's passing. I'm sorry that i did not learn he was gone until after his visitation had occurred. I had worked along side him for 15+ years & have to say it was a pleasure. The breadth of his business experience & his humanity was a part of what he showed us everyday. I hadn't remembered but my wife Vanessa reminded me that back when she had a small corporate catering company, she would cater lunch for us once a month. After Earl complimented her several times about her desserts (sugar cookies, in particular), she made a point to always bring him his own cookies. Hand delivered before any of the ravenous hordes (i.e. the rest of us) got a chance to devour them. That memory brought a smile. Rest in Peace, -FRANK M MCMANAMON
We were so sad to hear of this heartbreaking loss. Earl was such a kind man. And one thing was for certain; he loved that boat and Lake Louise. He would always want to be “first in, last out” for the boating season. We wish you all peace to bring comfort, courage to face the days ahead and warm memories to hold close to your heart. Warmest Regards, -Aras and Sandy Urba
