William A. Spead, 72

May 03, 2021

William A. “Bill” Spead, 72, of Lititz, PA, formerly of Brentwood, NH, passed into the arms of his eternal Savior Monday May 3, 2021 from the comfort of his home. Born March 1, 1949, in Laconia, NH, Bill was the son of the late Nathaniel J. and Marie A. (LaBranche) Spead. A graduate of Laconia High School class of 1966, Bill went on to attend the University of New Hampshire where he attained a Bachelor’s in History in 1970. Bill married Beth Jones on May 15, 1976 and went on to celebrate 44 years of marriage together.

After college Bill began his career at IRS where he soon transitioned to auditing pension and profit sharing plans. He became a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist and went on to spend more than 20 years writing corporate pension plans for private law firms. He concluded his career working for the NH Retirement System as a Regulatory Compliance Officer.

As a man who loved his Lord, Bill was called to serve in the churches he attended. Over the years he developed a heart for missions and served on mission trips to Kenya, Senegal, Brazil, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Romania and Japan. For many years he cared for hurting people as a part of Stephen Ministries, and previously was an active member of Exeter Presbyterian Church in NH. He was currently attending Ephrata Bible Fellowship Church (EBFC).

Regarded as a family man, Bill cherished time spent with his children and grandchildren who referred to him as ‘Guppa’. Bill mastered the arts of telling a joke and giving a hug and will forever be remembered for his humor, extraverted personality, empathy, wise counsel, and unconditional love for his family. Enjoying Norway as a high school exchange student, he hosted three siblings from Norway while they attended Exeter AREA High School for a total of four years. While his children were still at home, he enjoyed attending his kids’ performances and sporting events or even joining them in their activities, including being a Cub Scout Leader and performing in community theater musicals with his older kids. Once they were grown, visiting his children and their children around the country became his passion. When he had the opportunity, Bill would research family genealogy, go fishing with his family, or play games, tell jokes and solve puzzles with his grandchildren and friends. Known with his wife Beth for their gift of hospitality and opening their home to others, Bill would share his insatiable love of fresh New England lobster with others or take them out to breakfast.

To cherish his memory, Bill leaves his wife: Beth Spead; five children: Benjamin F. Spead husband of Jennifer, Elizabeth M. (Spead) Fanco wife of Jeffrey; Brent W. Spead husband of Shyla, Brian N. Spead husband of Kimberly, and Bradley A. Spead husband of Laura; two brothers: Richard Spead, PhD and James Spead; two sisters: Gayle Mullikin wife of Robert, and Maureen Winternitz wife of Thomas; as well as 19 treasured grandchildren.

Family and friends will be received at the Charles F. Snyder, Jr. Funeral Home, 3110 Lititz Pike Lititz, PA 17543 on Monday May 10, 2021 from 5pm to 7pm. A graveside service will be held on Tuesday May 11, 2021 at Witness Park, 419 Pierson Road Lititz, PA 17543 at 9:30AM. Following interment, a memorial service will take place at Ephrata Bible Fellowship Church, 491 Peach Rd, Ephrata, PA at 11am with Pastor Jason Hoy officiating. The memorial service will also be streamed at www.bit.ly/3ejzNK3. A celebration of life service for Bill will take place at a later date in New Hampshire.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Bill’s honor can be made to Project Mercy in Ethiopia (7011 Ardmore Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46809) and / or the EBFC Bill Spead Missions Fund (491 Peach Rd, Ephrata PA 17522).