Philip Spencer Young, born on April 5, 1947, in LaGrange, Illinois, passed away peacefully on April 25, 2026, of natural causes in Terre Haute, Indiana. From a young age, Spencer was a bright student with a passion for the stars; he spent weekends at an observatory, gazing through ground telescope lenses, and worked as a darkroom assistant for the local photographer during high school.

His love of the cosmos led him to Northwestern University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in astrophysics, followed by a master’s degree from Iowa State University. Later, he pivoted from astrophysics to coal geology, using his voracious reading to teach himself the field. He became a partner in a coal mine, and after its sale, he applied his analytical skills to invest in gold mining, eventually becoming an expert in rare gold coins.

Spencer’s adventurous spirit took him around the globe; he traveled to witness solar eclipses in Indonesia, the Caribbean, Turkey, West China, Tahiti, the Faroe Islands, and Central Asia. Along the way, he amassed an astonishing collection of photographs, both of landscapes and the cosmos.

Spencer was preceded in death by his father, William Philip Young, and his mother, Dorothy Hillis Young. He is survived by his brother, Arthur, nieces and nephews, and countless friends who will remember his curiosity, his wonder, and his fearless pursuit of knowledge.

DeBaun Funeral Home was entrusted with arrangements.