Spencer Gibbins

Spencer Gibbins died at 82 years old on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, at the Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville, Maryland. He was a talented professor, a pillar of his community in Washington, D.C., a generous philanthropist, and a dedicated volunteer. He is survived by his husband Cleveland Mosby, brother and sister-in-law Stephen and Charlotte Gibbins, two nieces, four grandnieces, friends Alice Faulkner, Carolyn Baldwin, and Susan Anthony-Tolbert, and many other loved ones.

Spencer was born on April 16, 1941, in Alton, Illinois, to parents Harold Gibbins and Pauline Spencer. He studied to be a Special Education teacher at Illinois State University. After earning his Bachelor’s Degree, he moved to Ann Arbor to earn a Master’s Degree in Special Education at the University of Michigan and continued to earn a doctorate in Psychology at the University of Michigan. His first post as a professor was in the Psychology Department at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and he then taught at Syracuse University in New York.

Spencer moved to Washington, D.C., in 1980 to join the faculty of Gallaudet University, an internationally renowned institution for educating deaf and hard of hearing students. He was bilingual in English and American Sign Language and also skilled in Braille. While a professor at Gallaudet for over 20 years, Spencer served on numerous graduate school committees, taught dozens of popular courses, and was admired by both colleagues and students. In addition to teaching and clinical supervision, he served as the Director of the School Psychology Program from 1998 through 2001. He also maintained a private practice as a therapist from 1996 until his retirement in 2001.

Spencer possessed prolific intellect, and he applied his extensive education in service of educating the deaf and also toward the fields of education and School Psychology. He was an active member of the National Association of School Psychologists, the Eastern Psychological Association, and the American Psychological Association, where he presented numerous papers related to his expertise in School Psychology.

Spencer was a dedicated volunteer throughout his time in Washington. Starting in the 1980s, he volunteered at the Whitman-Walker Clinic, a community-health center specializing in healthcare for HIV and AIDS. Spencer also volunteered for almost 40 years with the 7-2-9 Program, which focuses on community-integration activities for those experiencing mental health disabilities. He also volunteered for almost 40 years at the Radcliffe Room at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, a clothing-closet and food-kitchen for people experiencing homelessness.

Growing up gay in a society and era where homosexuality was heavily stigmatized, Spencer did not experience significant romantic partnerships until he met his one great love at the age of 57 on April 19, 1998, in Washington, D.C. Spencer and Cleveland shared a deep and trusting relationship, living together for the last 25 years of Spencer’s life. They traveled the world together, visiting over 30 countries across five continents. When not traveling, Spencer and Cleveland split their home between Washington, D.C., and Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. Due to the laws at the time, they were unmarried for most of their relationship, but they finally married in 2015, just months after the landmark Supreme Court decision, Obergefell v. Hodges, which recognized a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.

Spencer was diagnosed with leukemia in April 2023 and died unexpectedly from complications resulting from his chemotherapy. His funeral will be held on Sunday, October 1, at 12:30pm at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. In lieu of flowers, donations in Spencer’s memory can be designated to “The Radcliffe Room” at https://nyapc.org/donate/give-now/. Clothing donations to the Radcliffe Room can be made as well (see https://nyapc.org/social-action/homeless-ministry/radcliffe-room-clothing/