Maxwell Cunningham Spencer

Maxwell Cunningham Spencer, “Buster”,85, of Winston-Salem, NC passed away peacefully on June 20, 2019 at Duke Raleigh Hospital in Raleigh, NC following complications from a stroke. He was born in Lynchburg, Virginia on July 3, 1933. He graduated from Lexington High School in Lexington, Virginia where he played football, basketball and baseball. One of his favorite stories was telling how he was introduced at football games as “Number 38, Buster Spencer….he’s little but FAST”! He served in the Navy from 1953-1957.

Buster owned the Midas Muffler franchise in Winston-Salem, NC from 1966-1997. After selling the franchise and getting bored after a month of retirement, he went to work at Lowe’s Home Improvement where he worked for 20 years until he retired at age 84. Buster was involved in the YMCA Y-Princess program, a member of the Kiwanis club, served as a Deacon at First Presbyterian Church and he served on the board of Keating Christian Ministries. He also enjoyed playing golf, attending Wake Forest University football and basketball games, working in his yard and spending time with family.

Buster is survived by his daughter, Carrie Pedersen, her husband Will and their children Caroline Mitchell, Hunter Pedersen, Jack Mitchell and Brooke Pedersen; daughter Chris Haver and her fiancé Frank Zulauf and their children Sara Haver, Jason Haver and Gilly Geyer; and daughter Anne Simko, her husband Joe and their son Jesse Carroll. He was also a very proud great-grandfather to Hayes William Mitchell.

Buster is preceded in death by his wife of 45 years, Kim Thornhill Spencer, granddaughter Kimberly Carroll and 8 of his 11 siblings.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, August 3, 2019 at Woodmont United Methodist Church, 1926 Richardson Dr., Reidsville, NC with a visitation immediately after. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Keating Christian Ministries, 2813 Wesleyan Lane, Winston-Salem, NC 27106.

The family wishes to thank the staff and residents of Falls River Village in Raleigh, NC where he lived for the last year of his life. They also wish to gratefully acknowledge the amazing ICU doctors, nurses and staff at Duke Raleigh Hospital.