Sue Spencer starts every day with meditation and prayer, followed by a five mile walk; four times a week, she participates in Pilates and Tai Chi with the Tallahassee Tai Chi Society. Among her active pursuits and interests are service to others and bird watching – “the beauty of the world amazes me,” she declares.
Sue met her Wales-born husband Pete in England, when he was in a jazz trio at Oxford and she auditioned to be a singer. They obviously “harmonized” well, marrying and eventually moving to Tallahassee in 1971, where they have lived ever since. Married for almost 60 years – “forever,” as she happily describes it – she and Pete have two much-loved sons and two daughters-in-law.
Just about every Monday for the past 24 years, Sue has actively volunteered at Elder Care Services’ Elder Day Stay, entertaining participants with the piano and singing hymns. She always ends her session with “Church in the Wildwood,” estimating that she has sung this hymn over 2000 times. She is also very involved at her church, visiting homebound parishioners on behalf of St. Paul’s United Methodist.
Sue’s many years of contributing to the community culminated in 2016 when the Area Agency on Aging for North Florida honored her with the Distinguished Volunteer Service Award for Leon County. Sue spent several years as a reading tutor at Sealey Elementary School, and she now serves (monthly) on the team at her church that bags and distributes food and clothing for homeless people. She also dedicates her time to supporting shut-ins and those living in senior care centers, where she volunteers as an adult Sunday school teacher.
A lover of music and community, Sue has led the choir at an elder care center for 31 years. She also participates in her local church choir and regularly performs solos. In 2001, the Manchester University Choir at Carnegie Hall performed a musical piece she wrote, entitled “Psalm 100.”
Sue Spencer believes the key to a successful life and active aging is to smile often and stay positive while looking for opportunities to laugh often. “I am a very happy person,” she says with pride.
