Alexander Spence, M.D., 1940-2010
I regret being the bearer of bad news, but it is another very sad day for us, as I inform you of the death of Dr. Alexander Spence, joint Professor of Pathology and Neurology. Alex trained in both neurology and neuropathology before joining the University of Washington in 1974. He trained in neuropathology at Stanford with Dr. Lucien Rubinstein, one of the foremost authorities on brain tumors. At UW, Alex was until quite recently, the only neurooncologist on the faculty. He did a tremendous work as an attending neurologist, a researcher, teacher, and a neuropathologist. Alex worked closely together with Buster Alvord, and it is a sad irony, that their lives ended just one day apart. Alex and Buster both teased and respected each other during their long association; in Buster words, “ we kid Alex a lot [about his diagnostic methods] but he takes it all in good spirits, and in his own quiet way, dishes it back appropriately.”Alex was beloved by his patients and his colleagues in Pathology, Neurology, and Neurological Surgery with whom he interacted more closely. But everybody who had the opportunity to meet Alex came away with a feeling of admiration for this gentle, multi-talented individual, a true scholar who was modest to a fault.
We extend our sympathies to Alex’s family, and mourn the loss of a very special person, another irreplaceable individual who has gone from our lives.
Nelson Fausto, M.D.
Professor & Chair
UW Medicine Pathology