Harold Otis Spicer

Harold Spicer was born Dec. 10, 1921 in Gosport, the son of Otis R. Spicer and Hattie (Wampler) Spicer.

He was the second of six children and graduated from Gosport High School in 1939 and attended DePauw University as a Rector Scholar before interrupting his training by enlisting in the U.S. Navy in World War II on Aug. 3, 1942. He served as a pharmacist’s mate in the Southwest Pacific, attending the U.S. Marines 3rd Division from 1943-44.

He returned to DePauw for officer training in the Navy’s V-12 program and, upon Honorable Discharge on Jan. 4, 1946, finished his B.A. degree in English composition. He remained at DePauw on faculty while earning his Master of Arts degree in English.

In June, 1946, he married Hilda Templeton in Mooresville. She taught in the public school system in Greencastle for 30 years. The couple had three children, Sheryl Lynne (1949), Sylvia Jean (1954) and Stephen Michael (1960). He adopted his grandson Zachary in 1986.

In 1949, he joined the English department at Western Illinois University in Macomb, where he established a campus magazine, taught creative writing, directed a radio series and wrote a textbook on writing. In 1957, he returned to DePauw to teach, directed the student newspaper, and coached the College Bowl team at its competition in New York. The team was undefeated in five competitions.

In 1959, he was the recipient of a national Danforth Foundation Teacher Study grant which allowed him to complete his Ph.D. in English literature and philosophy at Indiana University.

In 1963, he joined the English department at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, where he directed the student newspaper to two national awards and national recognition for its coverage of the Kennedy assassination in 1962. One of his students later won a Pulitzer Prize with the Dallas Times.

His scholarly work included groundbreaking exploration of William Blake’s use of biblical myth in “Chariot of Fire.” His essay on John Keats was included in a variorum edition of Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” published in 1992. He authored several articles on Shakespeare, Hawthorne, Keats and Blake.

In retirement, he was an active community volunteer with the Senior Center in Greencastle and was recipient of Man of the Year award from Area 7Agency on Aging, Citizen of the Year from Greencastle Chamber of Commerce (1996), Older Hoosier of the Year from the governor (1994). He was also active with the VFW, Kiwanis, Masonic Lodge, and Putnam County Heritage Preservation Society. He wrote and narrated promotional films for the United Way, Putnam Community Foundation, Putnam County Museum, and the Greencastle time capsule celebration.

He was proud of his World War II memoirs titled “A Shaping Hand” which traced the hand of Divinity in his war experiences.

He is survived by his sister, Irma Jean Fuller (Indianapolis); daughter, Sylvia (Port Angeles, Wash.) and her son, Zachary (New York); City), son Stephen and his wife Carol and their three children, Mackenzie, Grant, and Olivia Spicer (Indianapolis), as well as grandchildren Erin, Justin, and Keirstin Ecenbarger; and seven great-granchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, four sisters and daughter, Sheryl Lynne Ecenbarger.

He was the last living member of the Gosport High School basketball team which had the only undefeated season in school history in 1938-39.

A celebration of life ceremony is planned for later this summer with details to follow.

In lieu of flowers, friends are encouraged to make a contribution in Harold’s name to the Heritage Preservation Society, c/o The Putnam County Community Foundation, 2 S. Jackson St., Greencastle, IN 46135.