Obituary
Spencer Ervin, age 93, of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, died peacefully on June 11, 2026 surrounded by his wife and daughters. He was born on November 25,1932 in Bala, Pennsylvania, the only son of Miriam Roberts Ervin and Spencer Ervin, and the youngest of six siblings.
He attended The Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pennsylvania from first through twelfth grades and earned an A.B., cum laude, from Harvard in 1954 (Harvard’s designation for what is elsewhere known as a B.A., and a distinction he insisted upon). He served two years in the U.S. Navy during which time he participated in Operation Deep Freeze aboard the USS Arneb, a mission in the Antarctic to establish a base for the International Geophysical Year. He had the opportunity to circumnavigate the globe and left the Navy in 1956 as a LTJG. He returned to earn his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1959. On September 12, 1964, he married Florence (Floy) Schroeder. Floy and he lived in Bala Cynwyd until 1995. They then moved to Bass Harbor, Maine in 1996, and since 2015 have been residents and active members of the Kendall Crosslands Community.
Spencer had an effervescent personality. He stood out to others and was beloved by friends and by people who had even a passing interaction with him. At any gathering, whether in Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Mt. Desert Island, or elsewhere, people recognized him and were glad to see him. A tall man, he also stood out for his welcoming smile, his unusually keen mind, and his kindness. Spencer was memorable. A joyful exclamation of “Spencer!” was bound to come from some quarter whenever he was out and about.
Spencer loved the law. He was a member of both the Pennsylvania and Maine bars and practiced law for over 50 years in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Bass Harbor, Maine. As a lawyer, he stood for what was fair and what was right. He believed that these values were enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and in the law. In his practice, he specialized in bankruptcy law and general litigation. After moving to Maine, he focused mainly on consumer bankruptcy, which was a safety net for those who were struggling financially. He was a true advocate, and the stories he told about his work were favorite cases where he had achieved a win for the underdog. He religiously followed every case before the Supreme Court on the SCOTUS Blog. When he lived in Maine, it was his joy to teach a continuing education course on the Supreme Court and Constitutional Law.
He loved to play games, particularly chess, backgammon and any card game, and he played endless games of backgammon with his wife, Floy. She was convinced he had the power to conjure double sixes. He also loved the Eagles and the Phillies. He exalted in the Super Bowl LII and LIX wins and cheered the Phillies World Series wins in 1980 and 2008. But to him, the baseball designated hitter rule, instituted in 1973, was “an abomination,” and he remained skeptical of the pitch clock. He also was a die hard fan of the Harvard football team and attended nearly every playing of The Game between 1950 and 2022 at the Harvard Stadium and most at the Yale Bowl. In later years, when he was not able to travel, he watched the live stream.
Spencer was a member of the Fly Club at Harvard, and of the Shakspere (so spelled) Society of Philadelphia for over 50 years. He was a president of the Bala Cynwyd Neighborhood Association and a member of the board of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory. In 2023 he and Floy founded the Ervin Family Charitable Trust and have funded several organizations doing work in the fields of education, mental health, and criminal justice reform.
Spencer loved dogs, particularly Trader, a Samoyed he grew up with, and Rissie, a Staffordshire terrier mix he walked with on the beautiful trails of Mt. Desert Island. He is survived by his beloved dog, Robert, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He also loved to sail in Blue Hill Bay and in earlier years cruised from Boston to Maine and on the Chesapeake Bay later passing the love of sailing and the ocean onto his daughters.
He was the last in his generation, and was preceded in death by his sisters Miriam, Katharine, Louise, Virginia, and Ellen. He is survived by his wife, Floy Schroeder Ervin and his four daughters, Margaret (Cortie) Ervin, Mary Ervin, Miriam Ervin, and Helen Ervin, as well as by his sons-in-law, Scott Swanay and Andrew Ludiman and his grandchildren, Andrew Turgeon, Jack Dempsey, and Liam Dempsey, in addition to many nieces and nephews and great and great, great nieces and nephews.
The Episcopal Church, the Book of Common Prayer and sacred music were central to his life. A service of memorial and burial will be held on June 20, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at St. James the Less on Clearfield St. in Philadelphia. A reception will follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Mt. Desert Island Biological Laboratory, MDIBL.org/support.
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Having lost my own father, I understand that this kind of loss leaves a space in the heart that never quite feels the same. Please know that my heart is with you as you grieve the loss of your father.
May God surround you with His peace, comfort, and strength in the days ahead, and may the precious memories you shared bring warmth to your heart when you need it most.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18
With love, prayers, and sincere condolences,
Dad and daughters
We love you Dad 🙏🩷
I loved our interations despite that and enjoyed calling him "cousin" Spencer out loud. I wish I knew what he has been thinking about politics recently!
Love to Floy and their daughters.
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