Spencer Smith
October 22 1938 - January 16 2025
Visitation :
John Quint Treboni Funeral Home
Tuesday January 21st 2025 4-7 pm
1177 W. 5th Avenue
Columbus Ohio 43212
Services:
Celebration of Life
Wednesday January 22nd 2025 at 12:00 pm
John Quint Treboni Funeral Home
1177 W. 5th Avenue
Columbus
, Ohio 43212
A procession to St. Joseph Cemetery will follow the Celebration of Life Service at 1 pm
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Obituary
Spencer Kelly Smith, age 86 originally from Columbus, Ohio, who spent many years in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before returning to Columbus in the early 90s, passed away peacefully on Jan 16, 2025 surrounded by his loving family. He was born Oct 22, 1938 in Columbus, Ohio. Spencer lived a life defined by dedication, kindness, and an unwavering love for his family and community. He was a devoted husband, father, and granddaddy. He is survived by his beloved wife, Susie (Short) Smith, with whom he shared 37 wonderful years of marriage. Together they built a home filled with love and laughter. Spencer is survived by children from his first marriage to Freda Smith, Jeff (Stacy) Smith, Kahleen (Trevor) Rozowsky, Spencer (Lisa) Smith II and Christopher (Rachel) Smith. He was preceded in death by his sons, Bryan Kelly Smith and Kyle Kovaleski. He embraced Susie's two sons, Kurt & Kyle Kovaleski; daughter, Tanya (Aaron) Semel as his own and shared a deep bond with them as well as his grandchildren, Kathryn, Sophia, Colin, Baron, Julian, Ani, Mia, Kailee, Ella, Mason, Sydney, Nathan, Jonathan, Skyler and Scarlett, who brought immense joy to his life as well as his beloved family members Paula King, Bill and Marie Safreed. Spencer graduated from Upper Arlington High School in 1955 and demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. He was a true go-getter who loved making money. As a kid, he would buy cars, fix them up, and sell them- a skill he honed under the mentorship of some of Ohio's finest car dealers, including Nate Berlin, Willie Jacobs, Stan Maybruck, Len Immke, and Jan Ross. Though the youngest of the group, Spencer earned their respect for his talent and hustle. Spencer began working for Jan Ross at a Renault dealership on Broad Street in Columbus, Ohio. When Jan decided to move to Florida, he offered Spencer a chance to join him. Initially, Spencer declined as he was starting his own family, but when Jan proposed a 50/50 partnership, Spencer accepted. Spencer packed up his family and moved to Florida where he co-founded Gold Coast Auto Brokers, becoming a pioneer in South Florida's automobile industry. The first dealership was located at 900 S Federal Hwy in Pompano Beach, Florida. From there Spencer and Jan expanded their ventures developing multiple dealerships including Gold Coast Sport Car Center which represented brands like Jaguar, MG, Triumph, Lotus, and Austin Healy. They added Gold Coast Volvo and AAA Rent-A-Car eventually building Car Row in Pompano Beach; a legacy that remains today. Gold Coast Auto Brokers' facility on Dixie Highway in Pompano Beach became the hub of their operation hosting new Cadillacs, collectible Corvettes and parts and service departments. They introduced Gold Coast Leasing which gave them a competitive edge by offering in-house financing at a time when bank financing was challenging to secure. Spencer's vision and leadership kept car carriers running around the clock delivering vehicles to and from the dealership. After Jan's passing, Spencer moved to Delray Beach and started his own companies: Car Go USA and Jack Nicholas Rent-A-Car. Later, he sold those businesses and returned to Ohio, where he partnered with his longtime friend Bill Wright at Lumberton Ford Lincoln Mercury. It was during this time that Spencer met Susie, who transformed his life. They married and Spencer often said, "Happy Wife, Happy Life!" Susie brought joy and stability to his life, and their partnership made every day better for Spencer. Above all else Spencer was passionate about traveling in his motorhomes, boating, and spending quality time with his family creating cherished memories along the way. His warmth, generosity, and sense of humor touched everyone he met. Spencer had a unique gift for making people feel valued and appreciated, and his legacy of love and compassion will live on in the hearts of all who knew him. A visitation will be held on Tue Jan 21, 2025, from 4-7 pm. A Service will be held on Wed Jan 22, 2025 at 12 noon at the John Quint Treboni FH, 1177 W 5th Ave Columbus, Ohio 43212. A procession to St. Joseph Cemetery will follow. Spencer Kelly Smith will be deeply missed but lovingly remembered as a man who lived life fully and left the world better than he found it.
Condolences for Spencer Smith
From : Michelle Benedict
To : Smith Family
Date: January 18th 2025
I am so very sorry for the loss of Spencer, I can remember he has always been a very kind man to me. I know he will be missed from all of you.. love prayers and blessings, “Mikie “ Michelle
From : Tim Galvin
To : Smith family
Date: January 18th 2025
So sorry for your loss. I remember visiting with your family in Florida on my 16th birthday with my mom. My mom loved Spencer so much and always appreciated how great he shared with Freda’s massive Italian family. I am keeping you all in my prayers and hope that you are all grieving peacefully as the rest of our deceased family welcomes him home with a huge celebration 🎊🙏
From : Bill and Sue Purdy
To : Susie
Date: January 18th 2025
We are so sad to learn of Spencer's passing. He was certainly one of a kind and we are fortunate to call him and Susie our friends. We shared wonderful times always filled with laughter and lots of memories over more than thirty
years. Spencer was gentle and a
genuinely sweet man, very successful at business and keeping his lifelong friends. He loved his family most of all and this world is definitely better for his having passed this way. Until we meet again.....
From : Patricia Brown
To : Spencer Smith
Date: January 18th 2025
What good memories I have in our days of when we were all together. You, Freda and your children were always so happy spending time together with Bill and I and our children and vice versa! When we moved to Tampa, you were living in Pompano and we visited one another. Our kids loved swimming in your pool and watching the boats sail down the inter-coastal waterway! Soon we all came to our birth homes, Columbus and then Hilliard. We both lived in the same parish of St. Brendan’s where our two daughters were baptized! Cousins by the dozens!! Time moved on and even though your marriage ended, we still gathered together for our children’s birthdays and Christmas. I met Susie at one of those family parties and we became acquainted and I was very comfortable to know her. She had two sons and both became like true brothers to their new siblings! Both families suffered the loss of a son. It was admirable of the compassion that was shared. Bill and I enjoyed those early days with Spencer and Freda as did our children! The guys would spend late hours playing cards, laughing and writing IOU’s to one another! Those were happy days with many good memories! God be with you Spence!
From : Bernie Nance
To : Spencer
Date: January 18th 2025
Our relationship spans about 70 years. He was aways very generous to me even as a teenager. For Jeanne and I on our high school prom weekend in 1963 he gave me a 1963 Olds Starfire convertible to use. Then when we were married in 1965 he provided us a 1965 purple GTO to drive to Florida on our Honeymoon. When he and Freda lived on the inter coastal he made fun of me fishing on my honeymoon in their back yd. Over the years he provided us with cars to drive both ways from Ohio to Florida. I remember one was a brand new Pontiac I picked up at Len Immke. They disconnected the speedometer and gave me only an ignition key I always wondered what I was hauling in the trunk🤣.
At one time he and Freda lived with us in the early days and he sold cars out of our house thru the Columbus Dispatch. He showed our family how grateful he was to our Mom when he gave her an Olds station wagon with a small crown painted on the drivers door with words NANA.
Later in our relationship I worked for him for a few years when he owned Car Go. He would buy fleet cars out of rental dealerships send them to me at the Columbus Fair Auto auction. We had a building there. I would put new tires on them and pin strip them and represented them on the block. He would give me his low price on them.
One of the perks was all the cool cars I drove of his till we sold them.
He was such a good salesman. One time I went with him to a Datson dealership on North High St in Worthington and he talked the owner out of a entire car hauler he shipped to New England telling the guy he forgot his checkbook and didn’t pay the guy till he collected for the card from the dealer there. He had a way of using other people’s money to make money.
We sold so many cars without the titles till he collected money to pay for them to collect the titles.
Besides being Brother-in-laws and Employer and Employee we were FRIENDS. I will miss him.
Condolences to his entire families.🙏
From : Bernie
To : Smith Family
Date: January 19th 2025
I forgot a couple of car stories Jeff would appreciate.
Spencer came to Columbus to represent his cars at the auction.
He sold two cars to a dealer in Cleveland. He told him we would deliver them he wanted to see the guys dealership and make more contacts.
I told him I had to be back that night because I had to work the fire dept next day.
We deliver the cars the dealer cuts him a check he immediately put away. He then told him I had to get back to Columbus but he would stay a couple days and he needs to buy a car for me to drive back.
He asked the guy if he had a late model Cadillac for sale. The dealer had one gave him a price. Spencer gets on the phone sells it to a dealer in Columbus. He tell the guy he forgot his check book and to hold the title till he sends the check. They agree.
I was scheduled the next morning to work in the ER at St. Anthony’s hospital now OSU EAST for part of my medic training for the fire dept the first 8 hours of my 24 hour shift. I then was to deliver the Caddy the following morning when I got off duty. The hospital was in a very rough neighborhood and I drove the Caddy there.
I came out to the parking lot to find a clothes hanger wedged in the drivers door window that a thief must have left or I scared them off.
I never told Spence about that.
Another time I delivered a Caddy to Boston Mass. then to fly back the next day. I was drinking at the time and the dealer wanted to show me around Boston at least the bars. Cheers was one. Then he took me to the airport and poured me on the plane. When Jeanne picked me up I was still drunk. She was not happy.
From : George Fussell
To : Jeff Smith
Date: January 19th 2025
I adored Spencer , he was an image of a man whom I worked hard to be like. I go back 55-years working as a lot boy at the property at 900 S Federal, Family Chev, Bill Ts Used Cars, Dawson Motors. I remember Freda and kids in the station wagon and so much more. I was very close to his brother Jimmy. Spencer was a very important part of my formative years. I’m sadden and give my condolences to Jeff and all who loved Spencer
From : Deb Armstrong
To : Susie and Families
Date: January 19th 2025
So sorry to hear. We've had some good times with you both and stories Spencer would tell, both of him and you. He will be missed.
Love and Hugs, Deb Armstrong
Austin & Amelia Kinser
From : David Sunderman
To : Spencer and Suzi Smith
Date: January 20th 2025
Spencer's obituary brought fond memories of seeing him tinkering with cars in the driveway as I walked around the neighborhood on warm summer days. I will remember our conversations and his friendliness. You two have been precious neighbors and friends I will miss Spencer but I will see him in my mind when I walk past your house.
From : Cheryl McClellan
To : Susie and family
Date: January 21st 2025
Susie, so sorry to hear of your loss. We shared so much with you and Spencer as next door neighbors-wonderful times and challenging ones. When we both moved from Upper Arlington, our friendship remained steadfast. So many precious memories! May wonderful memories of Spencer comfort you as it comforts us. Love, Cheryl & Ted
From : Tom Lang
To : Jeff and family
Date: January 23rd 2025
Dear Jeff,
I remember the day we met at Jimmy's house and you driving that little porches, benefits of Spencer's business. I will always have found memories of being at your house and of your parents, brothers and sisters. Great men raise great men. Lossing them just means their legacy continues. Love you Jeff and blessing to your whole family!
Tom