Obituary of Elizabeth Ann Spencer

Elizabeth Ann Spencer, 83, of Schenectady died July 19, 2022 of Alzheimer’s disease after a life devoted to her large extended family and her publishing career.  Born in Albany, NY, to Dorr and Mae (Golden) Spencer, she graduated from St. Columba’s High School and the NY State College at Albany.

She briefly tried teaching, but then moved to New York City to begin a publishing career. She became an editor of children’s school books at several publishers in NYC, TX, FL, MA and PA. Her love of books also led her to open and run Cornerstone Books, a children’s bookstore, in Schenectady, where she helped inspire the love of reading in others. She also volunteered with Readings for the Blind.

She was extremely close to her sister, Jean of Brandon, FL, Jean’s late husband, Andre Bourgeois, and her late brother and sister-in-law, Don and Carol Spencer, and to her 14 nieces and nephews, their partners and offspring. She had a knack of always knowing how to support each person. To her nieces and nephews, that support was expressed in being a calming presence through serious illnesses, in joyous dinner parties in her NY City apartment and outings to the theater or concerts, and in Christmas gatherings at Jean and Andre’s home in Burnt Hills, NY, and at “Spencerville,” Don and Carol’s home in Schenectady, where each new member of the growing family received a unique gift. Her caring extended to long-time friends, and to a succession of cats, most recently Jack. 

In addition to her sister, she is survived by her nieces & nephews: Susan, Paul, Bob, Jim, Mike, Tom, and Chris Spencer; Nancy Towler, Kathleen Spencer-Johns, Mary Riker, Mary Wedrychowicz, Margaret and Daniel Bourgeois, Bernadette Ilnycky, and dozens of their family members.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Luke's Church in Schenectady on Saturday, August 13th at 9 AM. Burial at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Boonville, NY will be scheduled at a later date. 

Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org. Online condolences may be made at glenvillefuneralhome.com