Dennis Hugh Spencer

Dennis Hugh Spencer, 82, of Lexington, Kentucky, passed away at his home on August 28, 2026. He was born November 30, 1943, in Lerose, Kentucky, to the late Roy and Candus Spencer.

Dennis shared 61 years of marriage with his wife, Carolyn Godsey Spencer. Together, they built a life centered around faith, service, work, and family.

Dennis devoted much of his life to serving others through ministry and education. He served as a minister in the Assemblies of God and United Methodist churches for 25 years and spent more than 24 years as an educator. After retiring from teaching, Dennis began another chapter at Walmart, where he worked for 20 years before retiring in 2025.

Music was an important part of Dennis’ life. He loved to sing and even recorded two Christian albums. His musical gifts also gave him the memorable opportunity to sing the National Anthem at two Green Bay Packers games during the 1970s.

In his younger years, and well into his 50s, Dennis remained very active and especially enjoyed playing softball, basketball, and racquetball. He was also an avid motorcycle rider and earned his pilot's license, taking great joy in flying.

Dennis was known for his quick wit and unmistakably dry sense of humor, something he held onto until the very end. Even in his final days, when words had become few, he could still find an opportunity to make those around him laugh.

He genuinely enjoyed people and never hesitated to strike up a conversation with someone he had just met. His love of meeting and talking with people was part of what drew him to his second career at Walmart. He was also remarkably dependable. For years, he worked the 6 a.m. shift and was routinely the first employee to arrive. Snow and ice rarely deterred him, and on some winter mornings, he was among the very few employees who made it to work at all.

Dennis and Carolyn also shared a heart for helping others. Over the years, they befriended and assisted two young women through the asylum process, one from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and another from Venezuela. Both later became U.S. citizens.

Dennis was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Candus Spencer; his sister, Fosteen Fields; his brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Barbara Spencer; his brother-in-law Gene Schafer; and his nephew, Charles “Chuck” Fields, Jr. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his sister, Jill Schafer; and his three children: Kelly Spencer (Patrick Piccininno), Kari Spencer Mincey (Timothy Mincey), and Todd Spencer (Sara Danaher Spencer), He is also survived by five grandchildren: Jaylynn (Chris), John, Lauren (Naudy), Cole and Caroline, as well as two great-grandchildren, Ariah and Amaya.

Dennis is also survived by two nieces and three nephews and their families, who held a special place in his heart. He deeply valued his extended family and took particular joy in seeing the close relationships his children, nieces, and nephews developed with one another as adults, and in knowing those family bonds continued to grow stronger over the years.

Dennis will be remembered for his love of Jesus, dry humor, strong work ethic, musical gifts, willingness to serve others, devotion to his family, and his ability to find a conversation almost anywhere he went.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, September 3, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Man O War Church, 1501 Trent Blvd., Lexington, Kentucky 40515. The funeral service will immediately follow at 1:00 p.m., officiated by Pastor Mitchell Tolle. Casket bearers will be Todd Spencer, Patrick Piccininno, Timothy Mincey, John Stringer, Cole Carey, and Christopher Ramsey.

A private interment will take place at Lakeside Memorial Gardens in Somerset, Kentucky.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Man O War Church or Bluegrass Care Navigators, whose hospice team provided care and support to Dennis and his family.