CLAUDE F. SPENCER
MERRIMACK, NH – Claude F. Spencer died April 25, 2014 at his home in Merrimack, New Hampshire at the age of 95 following a short illness. He was born February 14, 1919 in Athens, Pennsylvania, the only child of Gertrude Frazee and Claude D. Spencer.
He grew up in Painted Post, New York, and graduated from Painted Post High School as class Salutatorian in 1937. During his youth, his activities included church and Boy Scouts, and his love for gardening and woodworking was born. He enjoyed working at Tillman’s Drug Store after school hours during high school.
After high school, Claude worked in the physics department of the Corning Glass Works. This experience strengthened his interest in science, and he entered the University of Michigan as a chemistry major in 1938. He graduated from Michigan with a B.S. Degree in Chemistry in 1942. While attending Michigan, Claude met Louise Wible, who he married on September 2, 1944.
After graduating from Michigan, Claude worked in the chemical research lab at Merck & Co. in Rahway, New Jersey. His accomplishments included his first research publication and work toward finding a new antimalarial drug. In 1946, Claude and Louise moved to Boston, Massachusetts so that Claude could attend graduate school at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He graduated from MIT with his PhD in Chemistry in 1950, the year that their first son, Frederic, was born. Claude returned to New Jersey with his family to work for Merck until 1959. During this time, two more children, Karen and Richard, were born. 
In 1959 Claude accepted a position as a Senior Research Chemist with the Norwich Pharmacal Company and moved his family to Norwich, New York. During his time in Norwich, Claude’s professional work led to several U.S. Patents and publications in chemical journals. While raising their family, Claude enjoyed various activities such as building stone walls for their new house, gardening, woodworking, and oil painting. Claude was also active in his church, where he was a member of the Board of Deacons for several years.
In 1983, Claude retired from the Procter and Gamble Company, who had acquired Norwich-Eaton Pharmaceutical three years earlier. In 1984 Claude and Louise moved to their retirement home on Mount Desert Island, Maine. During his retirement, they enjoyed traveling throughout Europe, and especially enjoyed the Alps of Switzerland.
Claude and Louise moved to Merrimack, NH in 2004 to be near their son Richard and his family. For several years Claude was primary caregiver to Louise as her health declined. Louise died in July 2013 after 68 years of marriage. Claude spent his last six months living with Richard and his family. During this time, he enjoyed writing memoirs of his life, capturing memories from childhood, his collegiate and professional life, as well as experiences while raising his family and European travels.
Claude is predeceased by his wife of 68 years, Louise, and his eldest son, Frederic A. Spencer, who died in 1973. He is survived by his daughter, Karen Maiurano and her husband, John, of Greenwich, NY; his son Richard and his wife, Robin, of Merrimack, NH; four grandchildren, Jay Maiurano and his wife, Audrey, of Burke, VA, Ryan Spencer of Ft. Collins, CO, Caitlin and Daniel Spencer of Merrimack, and two great-grandsons, Alex and Joshua Maiurano.
A private memorial service is planned. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Claude’s name be made to Foundation Hematology/Oncology, 10 Prospect Street, Nashua, NH 03060. Arrangements are in the care of Smith-Heald Funeral Home, 63 Elm Street, Milford, NH. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please go to www.smith-heald.com.