Shane died in January due to a rare form of brain cancer. He was 50 years old, born in western South Dakota to Charles Spencer and Julie Rau (Smith). Shane was raised and attended school in the Bath/Aberdeen, SD areas. Shane loved spending hours working on his grandpa’s farm and when grandpa retired, Shane continued to work for his Uncle Skip Rau and his Aunt Marlys Rau who had taken over the family farm. After Shane graduated from high school in Aberdeen, he served in the US Navy for eight years and was honorably discharged.
Shane spent most of his adult life working in the St. Paul and Minneapolis area, his career culminating as a senior information developer for a major global software company. In his spare time one of Shane’s passions was playing hockey. At one phase of his hockey life, he was playing 2 to 3 different leagues and loving every minute of the game.
Shane and his wife, Barbara, were married in 2022.
Survivors include: his wife; parents, Julie and (Tim) Smith, Chuck and (Angie) Spencer; brothers Matt Spencer, Chad Smith, Luke Smith, Tyler Smith and Trevor Smith; sisters Tamra Geminiano and Jillian Newes.
Those preceding him in death are: his brother Derron Hier; his grandparents, Howard and Minnie Rau, Bill and Mable Spencer and Art and Lois Smith.
Memorials are preferred to the lab for brain tumor research at the University of Minnesota; the lab is under the direction of the excellent and amazingly kind neurosurgeon who cared for Shane over the last three years.
Checks can be made out to The University of Minnesota Foundation, with a note to direct funds to The Venteicher Lab, in memory of Shane Spencer. The foundation address is P.O. Box 860266 in Minneapolis, 55486. Our goal is to memorialize Shane with $10,000 towards brain tumor research; to make sure all memorials are counted for Shane, please be sure to indicate his name in the donation.
Online donations:
Can be made at https://makingagift.umn.edu/give/fund.html?id=25353 (Or, from UMN.edu, scroll to the very bottom and find the header “Fund the minds of tomorrow” and click the button that says “Give.” On the next page, use the search box at the very bottom to find the fund; search for Venteicher.) From The Venteicher Lab fund page, click the maroon button that says “Make a gift” and then the yellow button that says “Make your donation.” Fill out the information, including Special Options at the very end: check the box saying “Make this gift in honor of memory of someone” and enter Shane’s name.
Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Inspired Journeys of St. Paul, MN.
A celebration of Shane’s life will be held in the Twin Cities in the spring.