Spencer Leland Cyr

June 1, 1990, to Oct. 10, 2014

Born in Seattle, Spencer lived all his 24 years in the area. He and his parents, Craig and Susan, and brother, Forrest, lived in Lake Forest Park until 1998, at which time they moved to South Whidbey Island. Spencer was a bright, enthusiastic, creative child. His skill and aptitude for music became apparent at age 4, on the piano and the violin. He loved all music and playing new instruments. Eventually, he was drawn to the guitar, which he adored and studied for many years — both acoustic and electric guitars. His musicianship easily transferred to the tuba, the trumpet and the trombone for the South Whidbey High School bands. In addition to being a well-educated musician, he had the gift of perfect pitch. Spencer was a Running Start student and graduated from The Whidbey Island Academy in 2008. He studied classical guitar and sound engineering at Edmonds Community College.

Spencer loved to build and create things, all the things he could imagine: stories, wooden jumps for bicycles and skateboards, board games, card games, rockets and slingshots, forts in the woods, and a thousand other things. Spencer loved baseball. Spencer was a Boy Scout. Along with his dad and brother, he was a member of South Whidbey Troop 57 and the honorable Rattlesnake Patrol. Spencer earned the rank of Life Scout. Spencer was an excellent swimmer and was a BSA certified lifeguard. Spencer loved being outdoors. He was proud to have completed a 50-mile backpacking hike with Troop 57 in the Olympic Mountains. Spencer attended a high adventure camp at BSA Seabase in Florida, as well as many other camping and hiking adventures. Before illness closed around him, Spencer greatly enjoyed travels with his family.

Spencer was principled, kind and inclusive. He loved the family pets and they loved him. As a Unitarian Universalist, Spencer was a conscientious objector; he wrote and spoke out against war and dishonest, predatory military recruiting in high schools. Because he valued economic justice, he avoided buying items made in China. He preferred used things from Good Cheer or new things made in America.

Despite a wide and loving circle of family and friends, Spencer found life confusing and mysterious, people difficult to understand. He suffered over the cruelty of humanity, whether to himself or to other vulnerable people. He suffered from Asperger’s from his birth. Then, as a teenager, severe mental illness began its grip on him. Despite the help of psychiatry, a supremely healthful diet, acupuncture, meditation and exercise, he continued to suffer. Eventually, his world included only himself, and he chose to end his own life Oct. 10. One longtime medical provider said, “I have never had a patient try so mightily to find peace and healing.” His family is crushed by his suffering and by his death, yet they bless him on his way into whatever peace lies beyond this life. Spencer’s grieving family includes his parents and brother as well as beloved cousins, uncles and aunts, and grandparents.

Spencer’s family wishes for Spencer’s life to transcend his brief time here. They hope to raise compassion for the great tragedy of mental illness. As if the illness itself isn’t painful enough, sufferers endure bullying, isolation, exploitation, shame and exclusion from housing and healthcare, meaningful work and from society itself. To honor Spencer, the family encourages your kindness toward the mentally ill and all marginalized persons. Further, they encourage mindfulness and action in the areas of medical research in the mental illnesses, mental healthcare parity, anti-bullying education, suicide prevention and homelessness. Though Spencer himself was never homeless, the family is encouraging, rather than flowers, donations to The Tiny House Project of Snohomish County: www.euuc.org/TinyHouses.

You are invited to Spencer’s memorial service at 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, at the family’s church, The Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Church, at 8109 224th St. SW, Edmonds, WA 98026. Family and friends are encouraged to share memories and condolences at www.whidbeymemorial.com.