As the founder of the Mushroom Mardi Gras festival, an innovative fire chief, former mentor for at-risk youth and a family man respected by colleagues and friends alike, Brad Spencer’s impact on Morgan Hill is likely to last for generations.
Spencer died July 2 at his west Morgan Hill home of a sudden heart attack, according to his wife of 42 years, Rene Spencer. He was 72.
“He’s going to be missed by the community,” Brad’s son Devin Spencer, 41, said days after his father’s death.
Brad Spencer is also survived by his daughter Brynne Spencer, 38, grandson (Devin’s son) Aiden Spencer, 9, both of Morgan Hill. His brother Robert Spencer, as well as his sister and brother-in-law Susan and Richard Moore live in Vancouver, Wash., and his father and mother-in-law Ray and Dorean Miller live in Lindon, Utah.
Originally from Mountain View and the descendant of two Santa Clara Valley pioneer families, Brad Spencer moved to Morgan Hill in 1965 where he worked at Sterling Lumber Company, Rene explained while sharing stories and photographs in the couple’s longtime living room.
That same year, Spencer joined the Morgan Hill Fire Department, where he served as chief from 1974 to 1994. Former colleagues noted his devotion to the safety of his crew, a passion for innovative efficiencies and his easy-going demeanor as a leader.
Devin recounted how one year in the 1980s, before communications and records systems were computerized anywhere in California, his father went to Toys R Us to purchase Commodore 64 computers for the Morgan Hill Fire Department in order to store data and implement administrative programs.
He also led the effort—started in 1974 and ongoing to this day—to restore the city’s 1927 Seagrave fire engine, in which Spencer rode in many consecutive Fourth of July parades. The engine, still owned by the city, remains a staple of the annual parade, driven by retired MHFD Capt. Jim Xavier.
Although Spencer knew how to delegate department tasks and hold his men accountable, he was “a really easy guy to work for,” said Xavier, who has known Spencer since they both started working for MHFD in 1965.
Retired MHFD Capt. Mike Sanders started working for the department in 1974, on the day that Spencer became chief. He added that Spencer spearheaded local advances in technology and equipment that improved safety, not only for the community but also his staff. Simple things like upgrading fire hoses and painting fire engines lime green for better visibility illustrated this commitment.
“Brad was a mover and a forward thinker,” Sanders said.
Most of all, even when on the job, Spencer was devoted to family, Xavier said.
“For the big earthquakes (including the 1989 Loma Prieta quake) he would tell us, ‘Make sure your family is safe first, because you can’t do your job not knowing if your family is safe.’ That always stuck in my mind. He was a very strong, family first type of guy,” Xavier said.
He was also an enthusiastic grandfather up until his last days, not only to grandson Aiden but also to Devin’s girlfriend’s 8-year-old daughter Maggie, who he treated like one of his own, Devin said.
“Being grandpa was one of his last proud moments in life,” Devin said, describing Brad’s love of magic tricks and practical jokes. He enjoyed taking the family on vacations and day trips, which he organized meticulously, laughed Devin’s girlfriend Audra Stoneking.
Rene recalled that when she first met Brad, he had been involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, which connects at-risk youth with adult mentors. “He had already had at least three ‘little brothers,’” Rene recalled.
By the time of his death, Brad Spencer was also involved for decades with the Knights of Columbus and the Morgan Hill Historical Society, Rene added as she listed some of his community activities over the years. He worked for the American Red Cross in Hollister at one time, and volunteered as a poll worker for elections in Morgan Hill.
Brad helped save the Acton House, an historical abode which is now preserved at the MHHS museum, Rene added.
He was also a partner, with Rene, in the couple’s antique business, which occupies a space at Collective Past in downtown Gilroy.
“He did repairs and restoration. He loved working with tools,” Rene said.
Perhaps Brad Spencer’s biggest legacy is one enjoyed by countless locals and visitors, many who never even knew him. Spencer thought up the Mushroom Mardi Gras food, wine and art festival as a fundraiser to buy fire equipment at a time when the city was struggling financially, according to family and colleagues.
In the early days, the festival was held off Foothill Avenue in southeast Morgan Hill. As the MMG grew, it moved to more spacious accommodations. And as the city’s finances improved, the festival’s beneficiaries changed. It is now a fundraiser for scholarships and grants for local high school students, and over the years has raised nearly $1 million for that cause, Rene said.
In May, the festival celebrated its 36th year on Depot Street and the grounds of the Community and Cultural Center. It is now run by a nonprofit organization that works year-round to organize the two-day event, for which Brad served as a board member until his death.
“There was something in my dad’s makeup,” Devin said, attempting to put in words what motivated Brad to help others so generously. “He had a loving heart.”
The funeral service for Brad Spencer will take place 11 a.m. July 17 at St. Catherine Church, 17400 Peak Ave. The service will include a unique procession of fire engines, and local and regional firefighters will participate in a traditional “last alarm” ceremony often performed for fallen colleagues, according to retired MHFD Capt. Mike Sanders, who has known Spencer since 1973. Retired MHFD Capt. Jim Xavier will lead the procession in the city’s 1927 Seagrave engine following the ceremony.
