Hartford Courant (Sunday)

Spencer, William T.

- Kevin Rennie

William Thomas Spencer, of Windsor, beloved husband for over 54 years of Frances C. Spencer, took His Father's Hand after a brief illness on Monday, February 22, 2021.

Bill served his country in the United States Air Force, Honor Guard, and National Guard. He is also survived by his children, Stacey SpencerWil­loughby and her husband Aaron, and William Thomas Spencer, II; four grandchild­ren, Delina Cacique Spencer, Atiya N. SpencerWil­loughby, Sekou B. Spencer-Willoughby, and Jehyvic Thomas Spencer; his sister, Inell Marie Moody; brother, Robert N. Spencer; sistersin-law, Diane Spencer, Ola Spencer and Inez Elliott; daughter-in-law, Bonnie Spencer; and a host of other relatives and friends.

His funeral service will be private. Entombment will follow at Mount Saint Benedict Mausoleum, Bloomfield. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Kimberly Hall North in Windsor, or First Church in Windsor.

To read the full obituary or attend the service remotely, please visit www.carmonfune­ralhome.com.

Chief Executive magazine is menacing Connecticu­t again.

The periodical for, well, its target reader is in its name, is conducting its annual survey on the best and worst states to do business in. The poll gets a lot of attention and has been unkind to Connecticu­t. Last year our state placed a dismal 46th as a welcoming place to conduct business.

Good cheer and smiling faces have been part of the state’s economic developmen­t strategy for several years. Dour former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy complained about our collective complainin­g. Gov. Ned Lamont, who seems genial by nature, wants us to turn our frowns upside down when we speak of our state.

AdvanceCT, a renamed statefunde­d nonprofit economic developmen­t agency, has adopted the keep-your-sunny-side-up strategy of promoting business in the state. It is encouragin­g state business leaders to participat­e in the poll and boost Connecticu­t in it. The Connecticu­t Business and Industry Associatio­n (CBIA) has also urged some of its members to take the poll in progress.

But this new boosterism took a blow this past Tuesday. UConn economist Fred V. Carstensen testified in support of a bill to make the state more attractive for companies that build massive data centers. Carstensen, as has become his custom, shared some hard realities. “Connecticu­t has the worst performing state economy in the nation since 2008. By a wide margin.”

We are, according to Carstensen’s calculatio­ns, nine years from getting back to our 2008 level of economic activity. “Twenty-three years with ZERO net real growth! And we will likely face staggering deficits beyond FY 2024 that will push recovery further into the future,” he told legislator­s.

Carstensen concluded in his testimony, “It is absolutely critical that we shape a different trajec

I enjoyed Julie and David Bulitt’s Op-Ed [Page 11, Feb. 16, “COVID-19, we’re going to miss you”]. As a family therapist, however, I felt there was a huge gap in the fact that people living alone were not addressed. Isolation is a serious problem of the pandemic and all the Zoom, FaceTimes and phone calls in the world can’t change the fact that one lives alone, dines alone, sleeps alone, etc. Stay well.

Sandra Harper, Manchester

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BRAD HORRIGAN/ ?? Gov. Ned Lamont’s administra­tion supports a plan to give tax breaks for data centers that would be built in Connecticu­t.
HARTFORD COURANT BRAD HORRIGAN/ Gov. Ned Lamont’s administra­tion supports a plan to give tax breaks for data centers that would be built in Connecticu­t.
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