Spencer, Charles Alfred
Al Spencer, age 83, of South Yarmouth, MA, passed away on January 1, 2026, at Cape Cod Hospital with members of his family at his side.
Al was born in Virginia and grew up on his family's farm in Cedarville, Ohio, where he graduated from Cedarville High School. In 1960, he moved to Boston to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After graduating with a degree in electrical engineering in 1964, Al lived and worked in the greater Boston area where he raised his two children, Lisa Spencer of Berlin, Germany, and Charles Spencer of Billerica, MA. Al married his beloved wife, Janet Hyland Spencer, in 1979. In 1995, they moved to their dream home in Glenburn, Maine, where they lived for 30 years. Recently they moved to Yarmouth to be closer to family.
Al devoted his career to software development, working both independently and for many corporations on innumerable projects including navigation for the Apollo moon mission, computerization of library catalogs, automation of environmental systems, and advancements in image processing. Not only did he witness it, Al helped build the Information Age in which we live today.
Al was interested in almost everything life has to offer but was particularly passionate about music. He played clarinet in the school band and knew his way around the piano and organ as well. He loved classical and jazz but collected all types of music throughout his life, indulging his perfect pitch with the best electronics he could find - or build. While living in Maine, Al sang baritone/bass as a dedicated 20-year member of the Mainely Music Barbershop Chorus where he was twice honored as a "person of note." Later in life, a hearing impairment did little to diminish Al's determination to enjoy all the sounds of our world.
Al is survived not only by Janet, Lisa and Charles, but also by his grandchild Chris Spencer of Berlin, his sister Jane Sweet of Cedarville, Ohio, and the many members of the Hyland and Sweet families. Services will be held at a later date in Cedarville.
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