Judson Spence Obituary

SPENCE, SR., Judson Lt. Col. Judson Cauthen Spence, Sr., (ABN) US Army, retired, passed away on December 6th after an extended illness. He was born on March 17, 1921 in Elizabeth City, NC, son of Dr. and Mrs. John Paul Spence. He was raised in Leesburg, Florida. He graduated from The Citadel in May of 1943 and in July he married Mary Virginia Truett. He then began his service in the US Army. His first assignment was to the Panama Canal. After attending Army intelligence School at Camp Richie, Maryland, he was sent to Paris, France and then to the Army Intelligence School in Oberammergau as instructor. His next over-seas tour was back to Paris where he studied French at the Sorbonne prior to becoming an instructor at the Military Academy of West Point. In 1955 he was sent to Saigon, Vietnam as advisor to the South Vietnamese Air Borne Troops. He also served as Senior Aide and interpreter to General Samuel Williams, Commanding General of MAAG operations. During this assignment, he was injured in a parachute jump during a classified operation and later received the Vietnamese Medal of Honor from South Vietnamese President Diem. His last Military assignment was Orleans, France where he worked in military intelligence. Because of his love of teaching, after his retirement from the US Army he earned his Masters Degree and PHD in Modern Language Education at Florida State University. He returned to Charleston, SC in 1965 to become a professor at The Citadel. However, after being called upon to help found the Baptist College of Charleston (now Charleston Southern University) he left The Citadel temporarily and became the first Dean of Men and Chairman of the Department of Foreign Languages at Baptist College. In 1970 he returned to The Citadel where he taught until 1983 and retired as Professor Emeritus. During his years at The Citadel he began a resident program for Citadel cadets, giving them the opportunity to study in France. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mary Truett Spence and their four children: Judson Cauthen Spence, Jr. and his wife, Linda; Patrick Truett Spence and his wife, Sue; Edward Lee Spence and his wife, Lauren; and Merrily Spence de Lignieres. Also grandchildren: Judson Spence Arce, Jennifer Spence Siemans, Judson Cauthen Spence, III, and Matthew Lee Spence. Great grandchildren: Rebecca, Emily, Ben and Shelby. A memorial service will take place at the Citadel Chapel in January, date to be announced. For those who wish, in lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be sent to the Citadel Foundation, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409. Visit our guestbook at www.charleston.net/deaths.