Wednesday 15 December 2010

The End

As many of you may know, Spencer passed away at 12:40 in the afternoon of the 5th December 2010, at The Peace Hospice in Watford. His passing was peaceful and he was not alone - his father, his closest friend John and his favourite nurse were all with him. It seems obvious to say that he will be sadly missed by many people - both Facebook and this blog show clearly how much he was loved and respected.

A memorial service will be held at 1:20pm next Monday, the 20th December at West Herts Crematorium, High Elms Lane, Garston, Hertfordshire, WD25 0JS. This will be followed by a gathering for friends, family and colleagues at Bar Bodega, 151 The Parade, Watford, WD17 1NA. There is no formal dress code but please let your attire show Spence that you made an effort for him.

Please do not send any flowers - that money could be used in a much more lasting way. Any charitable contributions are considered to be private but we would prefer that any donations be made to either The Peace Hospice or Cancer Research UK. The Peace Hospice was responsible for giving Spence a fantastic amount of love and support in his last few weeks. He could not have spent his remaining time in a more special, caring and peaceful place.

Hot and cold food and drinks will be provided at Bar Bodega, courtesy of Spencer and John. We will be making a collection for The Peace Hospice there and any contributions will be warmly received. Free car parking for Bar Bodega will be available a short walk away at 44 Clarendon Road, Watford.

Please join us. Not in mourning Spence's death but in celebrating his life and the many and varied contributions he made to everybody who knew him.

Please remember that Spence found sobriety in the last 9 years and, even in his darkest moments over the last year, stoically maintained sobriety. If you wish to raise a glass or two to him then please do so. However we do understand that some of Spence's friends enjoy similar sobriety and we would ask that they find similar strengths to join us for the afternoon. It's all too easy at these times to seek to blot out the pain, Spencer wouldn't have wanted that.