Lawton legend dies at 98

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - Jack Spencer was a veteran and retired doctor who passed away Thursday from COVID. He is survived by three daughters: Patti Colley, Sherry Faust and Vickie Cloud.

He served the Lawton community for over 65 years, taking a role in organizations like the Lawton Rotary Club and the Elks Lodge.

“Whether it was deciding he wanted to begin a career in the military, or go to chiropractic school and practice for 65+ years, or that he wanted to give back to his community and everything that he did in the city of Lawton. So in that way he was a bit unstoppable,” said Colley.

During Dr. Spencer’s time in the military he amassed over 6,200 flying hours, and was a prisoner of war in Germany during the end of World War II.

Colley said, “He was on a mission. His plane was shot down. Being a navigator it was required that he bail out first. He landed in a German park... between two trees, and immediately was faced with a gun to his head.”

Dr. Spencer moved to Lawton in 1952 where he began work as a chiropractor, being only one of four in the city at the time.

Cloud states, “He immediately knew that he wanted to make an impact in the community, and he did that from the day he set foot in Lawton, Oklahoma until two weeks before his death, and Lawton should be very proud to have had such a remarkable man as part of their community, because we certainly proud to call him our dad.”

He was also one of the few people to be given a key to the city.

“When he was with Mayor Fred Fitch, and he loved it. He loved every minute of it,” said Cloud. “I think he broke one, and Fred was kind enough to supply him with another one.”

During his time in Lawton Dr. Spencer formed countless relationships, and in the last two weeks of his life, his daughters say the town he poured so much into turned out to pay tribute to him.

“I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of friends and leaders in the community that came to see him either in the hospital or in the care facility in his last days. It was one of the most touching things I’ve ever experienced as his daughter,” said Colley.