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Honouring the memory of FIMS Professor David Spencer

Memorial taking place beside David Spencer's tree and benchIn 2016 the FIMS community lost a founding member of the faculty, and a friend and mentor to many, when Professor David Spencer passed away on February 29 after a battle with cancer.

This spring, on May 17, 2017, members of Professor Spencer’s family gathered together with staff and faculty to hold a memorial service in his honour. With the FIMS & Nursing Building opening in January 2017, both a memorial bench and red oak tree were included in the plans for the exterior landscaping of the building. The new broadcast area on the third floor of the building looks out onto the tree and bench.

FIMS Dean Thomas Carmichael hosted the service, and shared some of his own memories of Professor Spencer, which was followed by the unveiling of the bench and the red oak tree. The inscription on the bench reads:

Memorial tree and bench“In memory of David R. Spencer
1941 – 2016
An inspiring teacher, scholar, and mentor.
Founding member of the Faculty of Information and Media Studies.
Remembered by your Family and Friends at FIMS”

With a temporary plaque in place, the bench will eventually have a permanent inscription installed. The red oak tree should grow to be a prominent part of the landscape behind the FIMS & Nursing Building, with its leaves turning bronze and bright red in the fall.

“Although Professor Spencer never had the opportunity to teach in the new building, it was important to the community that his memory stay forefront in the minds of his friends and colleagues. It is hoped that the memorial tree and bench will stand as a testament to what he was able to accomplish through his work at Western and what he meant to those of us in FIMS and beyond,” said Thomas Carmichael.

For more information about Professor David Spencer’s career and scholarly interests, please read “In Memoriam: Professor David Spencer (1941-2016)."

If you would like to donate to Western in memory of David Spencer, please visit the FIMS "Where to Give" webpage. Click the blue donate button in the top right. When you reach the question asking "Is this gift in honour or memory?" select Yes, followed by Other. Search "Deep Roots Program" in the search bar and the correct fund should appear.