Dan Spencer Spitz

Dan Spencer Spitz was born on May 14, 1946, in Rockford, Illinois, the youngest son of John Arthur and Elizabeth Virginia Spitz. He grew up in Rockford where he regularly visited a rock quarry with his dad to scan new cuttings for fossils. Guided by this childhood fascination with fossils, he enrolled at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa where he completed Baccalaureate and Master of Science degrees in geology. His graduate studies were interrupted and bookended by military service including a tour of duty as an aerial photography interpreter at the intelligence command center in Saigon, Vietnam. Dan worked as a geologist in Denver, Colorado; Midland, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and - during one glorious year - in Calgary, Canada.

Dan is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Jean Lea Spitz, his son, Aaron J. Spitz (wife Jennifer) of Oklahoma City, and his daughter Jennifer Kim Spitz of Littleton, Colorado. He is also survived by his older brother Steve Spitz (wife Mary) of Florida, his niece and nephew Tami Spitz Gibbs, and Scott Spitz, his Texas brothers-in-law and fishing buddies Ralph and Luke Lea and extended families.

Dan was an intelligent, studious, kind and private person. He was steady, accepting and supportive of others. He enjoyed deep exchanges of ideas with close friends but preferred solitude to social activities. He will be sorely missed by those who were blessed to know him. At his request there will not be a service planned.