Yancy Spencer III


Yancy Bailey Spencer III was a surfer from Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida, who was widely regarded as the father of Gulf Coast surfing.

Family

He was son of Yancy Bailey Spencer Jr., who served in the United States of America Navy between 1938 and 1962, Private First Class in World War II who reached the rank of Chief Petty Officer, and wife Patricia Lee Rice.
One of his brothers, John S. Spencer, is the Pastor of a Christian Church, Calvary Chapel, in Coastline, Gulf Breeze, Santa Rosa County, Florida. The other of his brothers, J. B. Schluter Spencer, is a Gulf Breeze, Santa Rosa County, Florida, City Council Member.
He married his second wife Lydia Ann Brown, daughter of Eugene Fuller Brown II and wife Maxine Boatright.
He had an older son, Yancy Bailey Spencer IV, from his first marriage, and from his second marriage a younger daughter, actress Abigail Spencer, and a younger son, Sterling Spencer.

Death

Yancy died while surfing at County Line, California, on February 14, 2011. The cause of death was due to a major heart attack.
A statue of him was erected on Pensacola Beach, Florida.