Spacht, Alvin James
In Loving Memory of
Alvin James Spacht
It is with deep sorrow and gratitude for a life happily lived that we announce the passing of Alvin James Spacht, age 88, on February 17, 2025. Jim, or "Mr. Jim" as his Santa Fe Community College students called him, graduated as Vice President of his class at Springfield High School, Springfield, Ohio, in 1954.
He began teaching 8th grade at Bath Township, Ohio when he was twenty years old. He received a BS in Education from Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, in 1966. Jim received his Master of Education Degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, in 1972. After many years working in Education, he accepted a position at the Santa Fe Community College at age 65. He taught adult GED classes there for 16 years. He had approximately 1,000 graduates, many of whom went on to study at Santa Fe Community College. Teaching GED at Santa Fe Community College, he said, was his favorite job of his lifetime. He taught at the Higher Education Center during night school and often had 43 students in the big classroom there. It was not unusual to be with "Mr. Jim" in Santa Fe and have any number of students recognize him and thank him for his service.
Jim was predeceased by his parents, Maynard and Byrdie Spacht; his sisters, Barbara Derr and Alice Girten; infant daughter, Lori Spacht; his nephew and grand-nephew David Dresback and David Edward; and his lifelong friend Hans Polte, M.D.
He is survived by his beloved wife Fu Mei Tsai; stepdaughter, Sheng Ya Pu; son, Mark Spacht (Anne); daughter, Michelle Lynn Spacht; grandsons, Brandon Semler (Jackie) and Scott Woodward; niece, Barbara Edwards; grandnephew, Dan Edwards; and grandniece Dru Edwards.
Donations can be made to Santa Fe Community College Adult Education Program: https://www.sfcc.edu/offices/ae/ for future GED students.