The Reverend Dr. Spencer C. Murray passed away on August 23, 2016 at 9:40 am after an extended illness.
Visitation will be held from 6pm until 8pm on Tuesday, August 30th, 2016, at Osborn Funeral Home, 3631 Southern Ave., in Shreveport.
Funeral services will be on Wed, August 31st, with Reverend Dr. Chris Currie officiating assisted by Reverend Rhodes Stipp, both of First Presbyterian Church. The interment service will be at 9am at Forest Park Cemetery, 3700 St. Vincent Rd. The memorial service will be at 10am at First Presbyterian Church, 900 Jordan St, followed by a reception at the church.
Spencer was a native of Camden Mississippi, raised primarily in Starkville, MS, and a resident of Shreveport, LA, since 1980. He had retired as an Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Shreveport, worked with Samaritan Counseling Center, taught theology courses at LSU Shreveport, and authored church history books for First Presbyterian Church of Old Hickory, First Presbyterian Church of Starkville, and First Presbyterian Church of Shreveport.
He served pastorates in Amory and Jackson, MS, Old Hickory, TN, Macon, GA, and Shreveport, LA.
He received his B.S. in Ministry from Davidson College in North Carolina then served as First Lieutenant in the U. S. Army at Fort Benning near Columbus, GA, where he met his future wife. They were married in 1950.
In 1953 he completed his Masters in Theology at Columbia Seminary, Atlanta, GA, and was ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church.
In 1971 he obtained his Doctorate in Theology at Vanderbilt University, specializing in Church History. He became a certified Clinical Pastoral Counselor in 1975.
Dr. Murray was preceded in death by his wife, Flora Redd Johnson Murray (also known as Connie). He is survived by his brother, Paul Murray; sisters, Betty Jane Chatham and Ruth Hagstrom; children, Sarah Dismuke (husband, Fred), David Murray and Robert Murray (wife, Royce); 5 grandchildren; and 9 greatgrandchildren.
In lieu of flowers please make memorials to Samaritan Counseling Center or First Presbyterian Church of Shreveport.