Spence Higgins

Mr. J. Spence Higgins Jr., 67, of Dalton passed away Friday, April 4, 2014 at Hamilton Medical Center.

He was the son of the late James Spence Sr. and Marion Jones Higgins and was preceded in death by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Miller Jones and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Daniel Higgins all of Dalton.

Spence was a member of the first class at Dalton Junior College, where he served as the first student body president. He was a lifelong Boy Scout and, at age 13, became one of the youngest scouts at that time to receive his Eagle Scout badge. He was a charter member of the Camp Sidney Dew Alumni Association and received their highest honor, the C.H. Westin Award, which he shared with his brothers. Spence was a lifetime member of the Dalton Elks Lodge 1267, passing the affiliation from his father on to his daughter, Sally, a third generation Elk. Spence especially loved trips to the beach with his family and camping at Camp Sidney Dew with his brothers. He also enjoyed tending to all his plants and cooking on his grill.

He is survived by his wife, Lenore (Noey) Heard Higgins of Dalton; daughters, Sally Higgins of Calhoun, Margaret and Tyler Manis of Brunswick, and two special grandchildren, Miller Spence Higgins and Murphy Elizabeth Manis; brothers and sisters-in-law, Lee and Allison Higgins, Maynard and Vicki Higgins all of Dalton; brothers-in-law, Shaefer and Cathy Heard of Athens, GA. and Sidney and Laura Heard of Birmingham, AL; several nieces, nephews and cousins also survive.

Special thanks to friends from Spence’s Dalton High School class of 1964 for your friendship during his illness.

The family will receive friends at Love Funeral Home on Sunday from 3 to 5 P.M.

A private graveside service for family will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers the family ask that donations be made to Camp Sidney Dew Alumni Association, P.O. Box 2463, Rome, Ga. 30164.

Words of comfort may be sent to the family at www.lovefuneralhomega.com.

Love Funeral Home, 1402 N. Thornton Ave, Dalton (across from Hamilton Medical Center) is in charge of arrangements.