Spencer Scott Colvin of Alpharetta, Georgia, was born Sept. 29, 1965, in Kansas City, Missouri. He passed away Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. He was laid to rest Oct. 17, 2017, at Beth David Memorial Gardens, Hollywood, Florida, with Rabbi Jonathan Kaplan officiating.
Spencer grew up in Kansas City and was a diehard Chiefs and Jayhawks fan. He had a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Kansas.
He was director of architectural specifications for Dormakaba, a global security group, and was responsible for the U.S. market. His clients were primarily major architecture firms throughout the U.S. Spencer worked on all types of commercial and institutional projects, and worked on many nationally recognized projects for some of the top design firms. Some of the projects he had worked on included the University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington; Penn Square Marriott and Lancaster County Convention Center, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Coca-Cola Headquarters Renovation, Atlanta, Georgia; ASU BioDesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona; 75 Rockefeller Center, New York, New York; and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport modernization, Atlanta. He was highly respected in his industry, and was the best in the business. He was very giving of his time. He volunteered and taught classes to the young people in the industry. He also served as an expert witness.
Judaism was an important part of Spencer’s life. He attended Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy in Kansas City, and visited Israel with his grandparents as a teenager. He was very active in B’nai Brith Youth Organization, and was a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity at KU. When he moved to Atlanta, Spencer became a leader in the Jewish community. He and his wife Lori were founding members of Congregation Gesher L’Torah, a Conservative synagogue, in Alpharetta, Georgia. Without Spencer, Gesher’s beautiful and welcoming building would not be standing. The nuts and bolts of the effort were done by Spencer. He led the construction management effort, as well as being the facilities czar. Many gifts of time, effort and financial support went into the project, but it was Spencer’s combination of skills, connections and drive that saw it through. He gave countless hours and an even more immeasurable can-do spirit to what is now a warm and welcoming synagogue. He had an incredible sense of humor, an infectious smile, and a positive and creative attitude to all that he did.
Spencer doted on his children Garrett and Jamie. Above all, he instilled his sense of calmness and humbleness in them. He also taught Garrett how to play fantasy sports. Spencer was a proud board member of Fantasy Sports 4 Life Foundation, a nonprofit venture started by Garrett to raise money and awareness for health-related causes. He spent innumerable hours in the kitchen with Jamie teaching her to cook, and inspiring her to become very interested in diet and nutrition.
Spencer is survived by his wife of 21 years Lori Shugar Colvin; son Garrett Lee Colvin; and daughter Jamie Danielle Colvin.
Donations may be made to Congregation Gesher L’Torah, 4320 Kimball Bridge Road, Alpharetta, GA 30022.