George "Joe" Joseph Sperry

     George Joseph Sperry, age 94, of Spencer died Wednesday, December 21st, 2022, at the Spencer Hospital in Spencer, Iowa, after a recent decline in health.

     He was born on February 7th, 1928, in Des Moines, Iowa, to George Kenneth and Harriette Elizabeth (Nelson) Sperry. He grew up in Des Moines and after High School began working on the presses for what is now Meredith Publishing. He met Patricia Jean Fenske in Des Moines and they eloped and were married on August 19th, 1950, living in Des Moines. 

They moved to Spencer in the early 1950s, where George was employed by the Spencer Grocer Company as Manager of Beer Sales until the Grocer Company was closed. He worked a few more years with another beverage distributing company based in Spencer until his retirement. After Patricia’s death in 2002, George later developed a great and dear friendship with Ada Lauck until her death in 2015. 

He loved to travel across the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska, and across Europe. 

     He greatly enjoyed serving his community. He was a member of the Kiwanis, a 60-year Mason, a Shriner, and for many years in retirement he and Pat traveled around northwest Iowa providing Alzheimer information to seniors, and especially supported the Spencer Senior Center.

     He enlisted as a Private in the Iowa National Guard in the 1940s while in Des Moines. He later attended Officer Candidate School and after 30 years in the National Guard, retired at the rank of Major. 

     He is survived by his three children, Greg (Nancy) Sperry of Dallas TX, David (Karen) Kendall-Sperry of Columbus OH, and Barbara (Galen) Dokter of Denver CO. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews. 

George was most proud of his family and of his service to his country in the National Guard.

     In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to your local Meals on Wheels, the Alzheimer’s Association at Act.Alz.org/donate, the Hope Church at SpencerHope.com, or a charity of your choice. Special thanks go to the many helping hands and the kindnesses they showed that made George’s life so much better in these last years: Mike and Gloria, Meals on Wheels, Spencer Hospital, Candee Lee, and many others.

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