Robert Spencer Morrow
Robert Spencer Morrow, “Spencer” to all who knew him, died on April 3, 2021, in Boston with his
son and wife at his side. He was 69. He led a rich and unique life.
Though born and raised in Atlanta, he moved with his family to Boston more than 30 years ago
and sometimes adopted the persona of an old-line Yankee who had been driven from the woods
of Vermont to Boston by a severe allergy to plaid flannel.
Spencer graduated from North Springs High School in Sandy Springs, Georgia, where he was editor
of the student newspaper and a combatant in the BB gun war between the staffs of the
newspaper and the yearbook. He met his wife and life partner Linda Kush while attended
Nebraska Wesleyan University. For 14 years, they lived in Atlanta, where their son Jesse Morrow
was born, and where Spencer was an all-star shortstop in the Advertising Softball League.
In Boston, he was a freelance proofreader, correcting spelling blunders in everything from candy
wrappers to biotech annual reports.
He was a cofounder of the Allston-Brighton Community Theater and led its playwriting group. He
appeared in the ABCT’s productions of Our Town, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Miracle Worker, How
I Learned to Drive, and Bad Seed.
He was also a gifted fiction writer. He wrote a series of comic mystery novels featuring the brilliant
but diffident private detective Ben Weisfoygl and read them aloud to friends at his delightful
dinner parties. In 2015, he posted his masterpiece, the novel Jasmine Dancing, in many
installments on Facebook.
Facebook was a social and creative outlet, especially as his health began to decline in recent years.
He and like-minded people from around the world, many of whom he never met, formed a
creative community, sharing zany humor, poetry, art, and creative writing.
He had a passion for classical music and systematically listened to the complete works of Mozart,
Beethoven, Haydn, and JS Bach. He was a self-taught composer and wrote six symphonies, an
opera, two song cycles, and many chamber works.
He loved building model airplanes from kits and also built models of baseball parks Ebbets Field
and the Polo Grounds out of balsa wood, relying on photographs and his imagination.
His found joy at his second home in Harmony, Maine, where he fed the birds and squirrels,
paddled his kayak, played golf at Dexter Municipal Golf Course, observed the night sky, and spent
hours on the porch with a mug of tea.
As his health declined, he worked crossword puzzles, cooked tasty stews, binged on offbeat TV
mysteries, and read Dickens novels with the goal of reading the author’s complete works.
Spencer was predeceased by his parents, Henry and Barbara (Darragh) Morrow. In addition to his
wife and son, he is survived by daughter-in-law Urvi Mujumdar, brothers J. Kell Morrow and Bruce
(Cindy) Morrow, sister Barbara Morrow, and nephew William (Angel) Morrow.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial gifts to The MDS Foundation Inc.,
https://www.mds-foundation.org/donate; or the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation,
crohnscolitisfoundation.org; or a charity of your choice.
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Our deepest condolences to Linda, Spencer’s family, and his many friends. Spencer deeply enriched our lives by generously sharing his interests with us. His wry sense of humor delighted us. We will miss him so very much.
This is a lovely tribute to my friend since 9th grade. He was always wry and funny. We had art classes together. Since we could to our work while talking. Spencer kept me in stitches with his remarks.
He never lost that. I mentioned him today to my wife Sue, who thought the world of him.
He will be missed forever.
Deepest Condolences to Linda, Jesse and Spencer’s siblings. He has left a hole in the lives of those who knew and loved him dearly, including myself and my husband Rick. We will continue to pray for comfort for his family…it’s a huge loss!
I am deeply sorry for the hurt all of you are dealing with. I’ve been thinking of you all, throughout these days. God keep you, and comfort you my friends♡
The world is not a darker place, because his glow still brightens and embraces us. We are all so much better for having known him. Just such a likable, lovable guy. We miss him so and hope that you are wrapping yourself in your memories and all the love he shared to help you through this awful time.
Spencer, your light still shines brightly, amongst those that were blessed to know you,
I never met you in person my dear, wonderful Bostonian friend. I met you on a facebook poetry site. What a pleasure it has been knowing you! I saw you as a kind, sweet, intelligent, earthy naturalist who loves deeply and cherishes the simple things life offers us. I loved seeing post of you and Linda at your lovely Maine Cottage. I wish I had the opportunity to hug you and Linda. Special people on this earth….when I look to the night sky I will look for the brightest star and know you are close by. Dust to dust my sweet friend……Love to Linda, and your entire family. Your Southern friend from Raleigh, NC…..Joette Woodall
I will miss your humor and intellect in your Facebook posts, a cara. I never met you but always thought you’d be a helluva neighbor. Shine on!❤️
My life is much richer for meeting you on FaceBook, Spence. You are a good and noble man and your life was an epic ride! RIP.
So sorry for your loss. I really liked Spencer.We talked about our illnesses and plays and so on. I will miss him.please let me know about his cekebration / memorial …may he RIP ………
What a lovely tribute to a beautiful soul. I am so sorry I never had the opportunity to know him better. My deepest condolences to Linda and family.
Rest In Peace my young friend. I always enjoy trading shop talk about golf with Spencer. You may be gone but you will never be forgotten my friend.
Although I haven’t seen much of Spencer in the years since I moved to the West Coast, I shall always remember him as one of the truly unique and multitalented individuals I have known. He bore his challenges with grace and shared his humor, creativity, and many trenchant observations with those who were fortunate enough to be in his orbit.
Linda, you are in my thoughts, and Spencer will have a lasting place in my memories. Even from afar, I feel privileged to have known you both.
My condolences to Linda and Spencer’s family. He touched many people in his life. I became a Facebook friend when someone told me about his daily Birthday posts several years ago. I couldn’t wait each day to see who was born on that day. I’m sure a lot of time was spent sharing with us these posts. Wish there was a way to enjoy these again. He was a very special and interesting man. Thank you Linda for sharing him with us. Blessings.
Spencer was One of the Good Ones. Requiescat in pace et in amore.
Linda-
Spencer sounds like such a wonderful human being! No more than you deserve, but I imagine you feel his loss so deeply. You and Spencer’s loved ones are in my prayers.
Missing my friend “SplendidSpencer” as I always called him. Always funny, kind and dear. My deepest condolences to Linda Jesse and to the entire family.
Dear Linda,
I was just made aware of the passing of Spencer. I am so sorry for your loss!
May his memory be a blessing.
As always,
Karen
Linda, you are in my thoughts. I always enjoyed the holiday cards you and Spencer made and now I know a lot more about your dear beloved Spencer. He clearly was a man of many talents and, obviously, a wonderful match for you. I hope the pain of his loss is somewhat eased by the fact that he lived a wonderful life. He did.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Spencer in person, but I greatly enjoyed our exchanges and reading his posts on Facebook. My condolences to Linda and the extended Morrow family and friends. He will he missed.
What a beautiful tribute you wrote about Spencer. Wish I could have met him, he sounds like a very interesting and kind man. Hopefully, you, Sue, Carol and I can get together & share some childhood memories. You are in my thoughts.
Deepest condolence from your Harmony neighbors. We will miss you out walking the road and stopping to chat and later on, riding by. Know you will be missed. Linda, we hope this doesn’t stop you from coming and visiting us. Know our hearts and thoughts are with you.
Dear Linda,
I am deeply sorry for the loss of your wonderful husband Spencer. Though I never met him, he was an incredible man.My thoughts are with you. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you with anything. Sending you much love.
My Condolences to The family and friends of Spencer. I met him on FB, through a poetry group. Even at this distance (east coast), his kind spirit was detectable.
I will miss his wit and openness on FB. I suspect if we were in a close proximity, we would have been friends. He is now off to explore other realms and dimensions. Have fun, My friend and Brother.
I can’t believe you’re gone Spencer.
Thank you for all your friendly help in model building and photography.
Such a nice friendship we enjoyed on Facebook. I will miss you.
Many thanks to everyone for these kind words. It has been wonderfully comforting these sad and challenging weeks to know that Spencer touched your lives.
I am not sure I have the right family, but I was looking for a family I once knew in Lincoln Nebraska. If I have the right family, I am sorry for your loss and wish you a bright future.
I heard about Spencer’s passing at the North Springs HS (Atlanta GA) 50th reunion in April of 2023. He was a student in my physics class at North Springs in 1969 – 70. Condolences to Linda Kush and the family. I enjoyed correspondence with him about music, and received a holiday card from him for several years prior to his passing. I lived in Framingham MA until 2005 when I worked for a Boston book publisher but did not know that Spencer was just a few towns over.