Kenneth R. Spellman

Kenneth R. Spellman, husband of Jane (Gordon) Spellman of Ipswich, passed on to be with his Lord on Monday, June 10, 2019, after a long illness.  He has been a dedicated and caring husband, father, teacher, worker and mentor to many.

Ken started teaching in the Ipswich Public Schools in 1964 and retired from teaching at Ipswich High School in 2003.  He has continued coaching to present.  After graduating from Gordon College in 1963, Ken began his teaching and coaching career at the Ralph C. Whipple Middle School in Ipswich.  In 1969, he began teaching and coaching at Ipswich High School, coaching basketball, football and track.  His football coaching career spanned over thirty years and included eight league and five state championships. He is best known for coaching Ipswich indoor and outdoor track and was instrumental in the design and implementation of the Ipswich track facilities, both indoor and outdoor. The stadium track built at the Ipswich High and Middle School in 1999 is now named the Ken Spellman Track.  During the summers throughout his college and teaching career, he worked as head lifeguard for the Trustees of the Reservations at Crane Beach until 1998, a job he loved, and allowed him to keep his athletes in shape as well. After lifeguarding, he worked summers at Turner Hill Golf since its inception.  Ken loved working in each of these capacities.

Honored many times for his successes and contributions to the athletes of Ipswich, Ken was named  Cape Ann League Coach of the Year in 1993, 1995, 1997; Salem News Coach of the Year in 1994; Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2007; and received the Elliott Roundy Distinguished Service Award in 2003.  He was inducted into the Ipswich Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.

Ken was an extremely knowledgeable and great motivator who inspired his athletes.

In addition to his wife he is survived by his two stepsons James Hull and his wife Wendy, granddaughter Alexis, her husband Jeff Ames and great granddaughter Haley all of Ridgefield, Washington, and Chad Hull of Ipswich.  He leaves his nephew David Spellman, his wife Maura and their daughter Sarah of Natick, his brothers-in-law George S. Gordon and his wife Juanita of Beverly and David F. Gordon and his wife Donna of Ipswich and their families. His also leaves his Florida family who meant the world to him, his niece Catherine Gall, her husband Rob and their son Dominic as well as his sister-in-law Marcia Crook Alkema.   He will be sorely missed by all his friends and family.

His funeral service will be held 10 am Monday June 17 in the Byfield Parish Church, 132 Jackman Street, Georgetown, followed by interment in the New Highland Cemetery, Ipswich. Family and friends are cordially invited. Visiting hours will be Sunday 4 to 8 pm in the Whittier-Porter Funeral Home, 6 High Street, Ipswich. Contributions in Ken’s memory can be made to the SEAL Legacy Foundation, 2525 Wallingwood Drive, Building 1, Suite 214, Austin, Texas 78746, a foundation close to his heart and in which he was instrumental in bringing very successful fundraising events to this area these past five years. 

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