RIP spenser1058

[Jernigan]

For those not frequenting The Coffee House or the thread “Contributors that we Miss,” I wanted to share that it seems @spenser1058has passed away earlier this year. The thread includes the speculations and confirmations and undoubtedly we all have noticed the missing cadence of contributions from him on this forum.

Rest in Peace, ‘Spenser’!

[codypet]

Oh dang.  I was wondering why I hadn't seen him responding, especially since he had been soooo engaged very recently.  Damn. 

[JFW657]

Sometimes he rubbed some of us (figuratively speaking) the wrong way, especially when he'd get on his soapbox about something, like his disdain for Buddy Dyer, or who's fault DTO's less than  brilliant architecture is, or his penchant for making things political, etc. 

But he always maintained his sense of humor (which was a good one) about the little dustups that would happen here, and always appreciated (or at least pretended to) my often lame attempts at injecting a little humor and irreverence into the usually dry topics we discuss.

But yes, he is and will be missed around here. 

RIP Jeffrey "spenser1058" Brown, formerly of "the shores of Lake Eola".  

I hope he finds his eternal peace and happiness relaxing the days endlessly away, strolling around Eola Park and dropping into Publix occasionally for a sub.  

[jrs2]

50 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Sometimes he rubbed some of us (figuratively speaking) the wrong way, especially when he'd get on his soapbox about something, like his disdain for Buddy Dyer, or who's fault DTO's less than  brilliant architecture is, or his penchant for making things political, etc. 

But he always maintained his sense of humor (which was a good one) about the little dustups that would happen here, and always appreciated (or at least pretended to) my often lame attempts at injecting a little humor and irreverence into the usually dry topics we discuss.

But yes, he is and will be missed around here. 

RIP Jeffrey "spenser1058" Brown, formerly of "the shores of Lake Eola".  

I hope he finds his eternal peace and happiness relaxing the days endlessly away, strolling around Eola Park and dropping into Publix occasionally for a sub.  

Ditto...

He was a member of that Presb church...as he had indicated a few times...so...a real searcher he was (unlike "Searcher" in S02 of Buck Rodgers or Bodhi in Point Break), which was a Good thing.  We don't want to "break on through" without a spirit guide.  He appreciated Shatner's over-acting, Picard's aristocratic sexiness, and The Borg's collectiveness; I will miss that.  He had issues-but don't we all?  He'd been around longer than me and had a keen insight on things, except, that he still believed in the system, which is fine I guess.  He also called out City of Daytona for being the good 'ole boys that they were...in demolishing coquina and the palmetto curtain...  He was an activist.  But he used context to bolster his activism. 

Just like that final episode of Star Trek TNG "All Good Things,"  in the final words of the series spoken by Jean Luc..."aces high and the sky's the limit."  Godspeed to him (and to each of us when our respective tickets get punched).

[angela1117]

I always enjoyed learning more about Orlando history from @spenser1058 and think of him every time I use the frozen garlic cloves from Target that he told me about. Not sure how that conversation got started but I'm glad it did.

[prahaboheme]

Jeff is missed — his passion for historic preservation and thoughtful urbanism goes unmatched.

Also, who else will commiserate with me about the loss of the Jaymont block now that he is gone?

RIP Spenser 1058

[orange87]

4 hours ago, angela1117 said:

I always enjoyed learning more about Orlando history from @spenser1058 and think of him every time I use the frozen garlic cloves from Target that he told me about. Not sure how that conversation got started but I'm glad it did.

I saw he actually posted a review of them on Target's website. lol

[HankStrong]

Spense was my UP buddy. 

It's funny because we come from completely different backgrounds, but had many similarities all the same.  I always enjoyed reading his posts, as long as they stayed away from being too political.  I'm not sure if I was one of many of us or few he shared with beyond posting here, but he'd get ticked off about something and light my PM up about it.  We'd chat and I'd do my best to smooth his feelings over.  We'd usually make some lighthearted cracks about whatever it was and then he'd be ok.  

I appreciated his knowledge and his vast well of opinions on things.  He will truly be missed as the most prolific poster I've ever seen around here.

[jrs2]

On another note, Spenser was a Good Gator, but was more so supporting UCF in recent years.  It made for fantastic sports-talk banter, but he was still politically charged, even with college football. 

People questioned whether this forum could survive the loss of Spenser.  Well...

Before UP, I used to frequent SkyscraperCity in the Miami forum, and Orlando threads in the Florida forum.  The Miami crew were civilized.  But there was this Tampa versus Orlando thing brewing; the Mod had to intervene often because it got way out of control.   It was incredible; you just had to be there (some of us from UP actually were).

Then I migrated over to UP.  After a few years, the forum-based jabs surprisingly surfaced yet again- only this time they dealt with politics. 

You know, the Miami group in SkyscraperCity did not quibble over politics.   The Miami group instead had an "us versus the world" attitude, where they thought big; they had solidarity; they compared themselves to other major cities nationally and internationally- but the key word there was the notion of an "us."  You don't have an "us" here and probably never did.  But if there was an "us" here at one time, based on Spencer's politics, it fizzled.     

Although I respected Spenser's experience and base of knowledge,  his positive contributions came at a cost.  And remember, he was the one that created those three political threads in the Coffee House to begin with, in an effort to keep pushing his political agenda.  But when he didn't get the attention he expected, he would go right back to interjecting politics into regular threads yet again.  If this was SkyscraperCity, the Mod would have suspended him early on.    

Regardless, I never wished him ill will, and I do pray that he finally found peace.

[aent]

I'm convinced he had me blocked after our arguments over his hatred of Brightline and how he believed it was a total scam and a ploy to steal money (but could never say how), but I always appreciated his knowledge of the history of not just Orlando, but the entire surrounding areas and local traditions, it was quite insightful. RIP, you will be missed, both by those who agreed with him and those who didn't.

[codypet]

13 hours ago, aent said:

I'm convinced he had me blocked after our arguments over his hatred of Brightline and how he believed it was a total scam and a ploy to steal money (but could never say how), but I always appreciated his knowledge of the history of not just Orlando, but the entire surrounding areas and local traditions, it was quite insightful. RIP, you will be missed, both by those who agreed with him and those who didn't.

Interesting.  I would have thought given that, he and I would have butted heads about it more then.

[JFW657]

Strange I suppose, but with the start of Brightline service now an impending reality, it seems like the luster of it will be just a little dimmer now, knowing that after all these years of anticipation and talking about it, a fellow UP'er is suddenly no longer around to see it actually happen. 

Same with Society. 

Almost finished and after all the discussion and following its progress, he won't be around to hail its opening.

I guess it'll be that way with The Edge and 500 N. Orange as well.  

[jrs2]

14 hours ago, aent said:

I'm convinced he had me blocked after our arguments over his hatred of Brightline and how he believed it was a total scam and a ploy to steal money (but could never say how), but I always appreciated his knowledge of the history of not just Orlando, but the entire surrounding areas and local traditions, it was quite insightful. RIP, you will be missed, both by those who agreed with him and those who didn't.

Spenser's narrative was that if a Republican was behind it, that there was corruption involved.  He did it with Mica and Sunrail, tied it into Glenda Hood, and he did it with "Medicare" Rick Scott who said no to Obama money for HSR "for partisan reasons" which paved the way for BL.  We all have bias, but he tried to shroud his by slamming Buddy every chance he got and by lauding some Republicans from yesteryear: Spenser 101. 

I will say that after the Disney-DeSantis debacle,  it seemed that just the mere notion of not automatically running with the Disney narrative hit Spenser to the core.  I would gather that DeSantis getting reelected the way he did in spite of the Disney drama hit Spenser even harder.  Not only that, but Spenser pushed back against Universal as well, and shot down notions of Universal threatening Disney's prominence.  Then you had the Brightline station fiasco which made Disney look overtly greedy in the public eye.  And, on this note, the general Sunshine Corridor movement was sponsored by Orange County, made up of Democrats, mind you, that pushed for the Universal route; yet another rejection. And to top it off, Disney's stocks plummeting towards the end of 2022, and they fired their "don't say gay" mouthpiece.  It's almost like he put all his eggs into the Disney SJW basket and everyone rejected it on so many fronts, including Disney in the end. When you add it all up, it's pretty crazy and I bet it caused him a lot of stress.

As for blocking, I don't know.  But I would have bet that if he had blocked anyone, it would have been I Am Reality.  

[F-L-A]

RIP

I see the most politically overzealous personality on the entire forum (spenser was a respectable #2; tiresome at times, but generally benign) continues to keep that role on lockdown, even at the most inappropriate of times. I guess you can teach someone an ideology or agenda, but not self-awareness.

[Jolly Roger's Crackers]

spenser1058 was the sole reason why I waded into this forum. I'd browsed anonymously for a short spell and (as a long time resident) found most of his posts humorous and (more importantly) incredibly knowledgeable regarding the history of this city. I felt immediately welcomed (after joining) by several of his replies. I know I don't post here a lot but I do still browse here fairly often. He will be sorely missed. Happy travels to you spenser1058. Cheers.

Edited April 21, 2023 by Jolly Roger's Crackers

[jrs2]

5 hours ago, F-L-A said:

RIP

I see the most politically overzealous personality on the entire forum (spenser was a respectable #2; tiresome at times, but generally benign) continues to keep that role on lockdown, even at the most inappropriate of times. I guess you can teach someone an ideology or agenda, but not self-awareness.

if you believe that, then you really haven't been paying attention at all the past few years.

[FLClarkKent]

He will he greatly missed on this forum, as I am sure he will be missed by his family and friends. He loved this city and wanted it to succeed for all of its residents. I didn’t know him, but could only imagine his reaction when I read the news that Buddy Dyer was running for his <checks notes> 800th term as mayor of Orlando. My wish for Spenser is that there are no bulldozers in the afterlife, and that the streets of Heaven are lined with historic Woolworth buildings.

[uncreativeusername]

Wow, thanks for sharing--this news hits like a ton of bricks. Spenser always was (and will continue to be) my subconscious UP mascot, and a sort of fairy godfather of urbanism (and of course Orlando history). I've been amused, engrossed, entertained, and fascinated by Spenser's opinions, insight, and wit on these boards for close to two decades.  Grateful for all of it.

43 minutes ago, FLClarkKent said:

My wish for Spenser is that there are no bulldozers in the afterlife, and that the streets of Heaven are lined with historic Woolworth buildings.

Hear, hear!

[Jerry95]

Really sad to hear this news. Spenser brought a great deal of insight and passion to this forum, which gave it life IMO (and yes that includes the political back and forth).

Always appreciated the historical context and tidbits from the previous eras of the City.

I hope he finds the downtown in the sky that brings him peace.

[gibby]

Terrible news.

[F-L-A]

On 4/21/2023 at 8:22 PM, jrs2 said:

if you believe that, then you really haven't been paying attention at all the past few years.

Like I said, you can't teach self-awareness. You can check the post reactions though. 

[jrs2]

22 hours ago, F-L-A said:

Like I said, you can't teach self-awareness. You can check the post reactions though. 

I hated hearing that Spenser passed and I do miss his posts.  You take the bad with the good, but it doesn't mean that you completely ignore the bad or redefine it just because he passed away.  That is doing Spenser a disservice, because Spenser was an activist.  And besides, did you personally know him? And, how many interactions did you even have with Spenser on UP?  I see you only have 324 total posts.  Shoot...I probably had 324 interactions with Spenser alone EVERY YEAR since being on these boards (and sometimes double or triple that amount).  So, while you sat on the sidelines, I actually did more than most here to really try and get to know him, by engaging with him on many levels, commiserating with him, responding to him, trying to clarify issues with him, posing queries to him, challenging him, and by jousting with him on several issues, one being UCF vs UF.  And also, in trying to keep him from being dejected when others here told him to take a hike with his political posts, because I realized his sensitivity.

Many of the times that Spenser quit UP, I would jokingly message him about coming back to save (me) from boredom.  And Spenser's the one, conversely, that sensed that I might have quit in the fall during a six week hiatus when he joked in that post about me still being stuck in some airport somewhere on a Southwest Airlines flight.  Hilarious.  Believe it or not, that actually made me come back to UP, because I did quit. 

So, respectfully, it is inappropriate for you  to apply your litmus test on what members should or shouldn't reflect upon when it comes to Spenser on UP until you've put in the mileage. Let's just say that I interacted with Spenser during my time here more than most people do in their interpersonal relationships, and that says a lot (a lot about that, but very little about most peoples' interpersonal relationships, LOL, because communication is paramount ).  And I will always value that.

[popsiclebrandon]

Well that just sucks. Don't know what happened but hope he is at peace and his family I hope will find comfort in the stories I'm sure he would tell them.

Guy was a hell of a poster and he will be sorely missed around here.

[jliv]

Oh no…I was fearing that, as there was an odd amount of quiet in the forums over the past couple of months.  I’ve been popping in and out for almost 2 decades now; I think I've been on UP longer than him, but my paltry contributions (303 in total since 2005) pale in comparison  to his 17K posts!  "Spense” was a throwback to old school BBSers and Usenet posters; controversial, prolific, but always an entertaining read. I always read his posts (in my head) in the voice of a scruffy, older gentleman stepping up to the mic in a Gators trucker cap at a city council meeting to complain about the "shenanigans" of the local politicians, and how they destroyed his hometown.  At least I have a real name to attach to the persona (Jeff) and a real person who was mortal like the rest of us. RIP Spense…you will be missed…

Edited April 25, 2023 by jliv

[JFW657]

4 hours ago, jliv said:

Oh no…I was fearing that, as there was an odd amount of quiet in the forums over the past couple of months.  I’ve been popping in and out for almost 2 decades now; I think I've been on UP longer than him, but my paltry contributions (303 in total since 2005) pale in comparison  to his 17K posts!  "Spense” was a throwback to old school BBSers and Usenet posters; controversial, prolific, but always an entertaining read. I always read his posts (in my head) in the voice of a scruffy, older gentleman stepping up to the mic in a Gators trucker cap at a city council meeting to complain about the "shenanigans" of the local politicians, and how they destroyed his hometown.  At least I have a real name to attach to the persona (Jeff) and a real person who was mortal like the rest of us. RIP Spense…you will be missed…

I think you are probably closer to describing me there than him.   

Sans the hat.