Jerry Lee Spicer
January 26, 1947 - December 27, 2016

Jerry Lee Spicer, 69, of Ames died December 27, 2016 at Mary Greeley Medical Center.

A gathering of friends and relatives will be Friday, December 30 at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care, 414 Lincoln Way in Ames, from 4 to 6 p.m. with a short service at 6 p.m.

Jerry was born January 26, 1947 in Cedar Falls, Iowa when his dad, a World War II Coast Guard veteran, was in college. Jerry's parents were Carmi Neal (Spike) Spicer and Betty Lavonne Smith. In Jerry's early years, his family lived in Racine, Wisconsin and in Texas. When his dad was called up by the Navy for the Korean War, Jerry, little sister Pam and his mother returned to Ames where Betty's and Spike's mothers lived. Both of Jerry's grandfathers died long before he was born.

Jerry graduated from Ames High School in 1965. He served in the US Coast Guard on buoy tenders, patrol boats and cutters from 1966 to 1970, with longest assignments off shore in Vietnam; American Samoa and the LORAN station in Jupiter, Florida.

Jerry loved the outdoors, had a scientific mind with amazing recall and could be really creative crafting art out of discarded computer parts. He had two Iowa State University degrees: Associate in Applied Science in Mechanical Technology and Bachelor of Arts in Leisure Studies. He worked at Hach Chemical, owned Leisure Laundry and then purchased his uncle Kenny Smith's wood floor business operating it nearly 20 years as Jerry Spicer Floor Sanding, Finishing and Installation.

Jerry married Lynette Jones, daughter of Orlie Jones and Fern Steinhoff, on June 4, 1972 beneath the campanile on the Iowa State University campus.

Jerry is survived by his wife and children and their families: Clarissa Spicer Crmi and Linsay Spicer. He is survived by grandchildren Fern Spicer Diesburg and Lark Spicer Diesburg. He is also survived by his sister Pam Travis and her husband Mark and their children and families: Sean and Darcy Travis with children Jordan and Dylan Ryan and Anna Travis and their children Treyton and Cainan and Deanne and Mark Sandbulte with children Elias, Lydia and Paizley..

Some of his cremains were interred in the Ames Municipal Cemetery; some will be scattered at sea. The family prefers memorials rather than flowers. Direct memorials to the family who will donate the money to Iowa veterans groups.

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