Craig B. Spengler ’70

Date posted: May 1, 2009, 11:25 am

Brother Bernard Jackson ’71 recently wrote to the 530 AM to share his grief over the passing of Brother Craig Spengler ’70. Below are his reminiscences of Craig as an Alpha Mu mentor and friend.

“Craig was one of my roommates during my freshman rotation, and what a fine impression he made! In 1967, I was fresh up from Georgia, [Craig] was already a sophomore, and I needed all the comfort I could find … Who would have thought I’d find it in this soft-spoken, gentle soul from Buffalo?

“We shared weird, off-kilter sensibilities, which is why we painted our room, ‘the Pit,’ flat black from the waistline up, and purple below. The two light-deadening colors were separated by a wavy waterline all the way around the wall. I don’t recall who inherited that room after we moved out, but please forgive us.

“I remember Craig as stoic, deeply philosophical, and thoughtful. He wasn’t athletic, nor did he argue or engage in anything that wasted too much energy. But his ol’ brain was always churning overtime. He loved a good cigar and, unlike me, he never complained of coldness or pain. In fact, he remains the only person I have ever met who went to the dentist and never used novocain! He taught me the power of mind over matter.

“After he graduated from MIT, he entered business school in Manchester, England. After my graduation the following January, I went hitchhiking through Europe. First thing I did was visit Craig and crash with him in a very cold flat up in Manchester. He introduced me to Guinness and other warm beers, which I still detest to this day. As we fanned out and started our respective careers, we lost track of each other. Last I heard, he was somewhere in Florida.

“What a guy! As a poor, bewildered Southern boy who took a chance on joining a fraternity I’d never heard of, he befriended me and helped me find my way. Wherever his soul may reside in the great timeless unknown, I say, ‘Peace be with you, my brother. You made the grade, and you shall forever be remembered.'”