Spencer D. Branting died peacefully with family by his side on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, at Cascadia of Lewiston from the effects of Creutzfeld-Jakob (Prion) Disease, an incurable brain disorder affecting only one in a million Americans.
Born in Lewiston on Sept. 30, 1972, to Steven and Shann (Robertson) Branting, he was proud of his family heritage, directly descended as he was from several English, French and Norwegian notables, as well as the governor of the Virginia Colony.
A 1991 graduate of Lewiston High School, he was a four-time finalist at International Science and Engineering Fairs, earning, among other honors, a Grand Award for his work in nuclear fusion. Spencer earned three degrees from Lewis-Clark State College and won its Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.
After living and working as a mechanical engineer for many years in the Puget Sound area and Austria, he returned to Lewiston in 2017, purchased a home next door to his parents, and worked for Schweitzer Engineering until 2022. Until Prion Disease robbed him of his mental acuity and mobility, he worked as a mechanical designer for RediStair of Asotin.
A lifelong active member of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he served with congregations in Renton and Issaquah, Wash., and Lewiston.
Aside from his beloved parents, he is survived by several uncles and three aunts, along with many cousins in the USA, Canada, Thailand, Germany and Sweden, and his feline companion Maisie.
A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Lewiston Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1434 Ripon, Lewiston. Seating is limited to about 200.
Those who are ill or who are distant may log in the service on Zoom using the following code: Meeting number: 89485540764 Password: 258598
