Glenn Edward Spelis was a quiet, reserved, and loving man whose outward demeanor belied his spirit of adventure and fearlessness in the face of risk and danger. He absolutely loved motorsports and flying.
Glenn was born on July 2, 1947, in Hartford, CT, to Edward Spelis and Frances Spelis. He passed away on Hospice Care in Sherman, TX, on March 1, 2025.
His father was an Air Force officer, and the family moved around the country very frequently. Born into a military family, he sometimes attended two or three schools in one year. As the new kid in school, he was frequently set upon and challenged by the local children. He quickly learned how to effectively defend himself.
Glenn graduated from high school in Bellevue, Nebraska, in 1965. He spent his high school years obsessed with cars. He bought old cars cheaply and used them for parts to build a fast and usable car. He was admittedly an accomplished street racer. He attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha for three semesters.
When he realized that business education was not his thing, he took a few months to hitchhike around the South Central states, taking a few odd jobs. He then returned to Nebraska and enlisted in the Army, knowing full well he would be sent to Vietnam. After boot camp, he was asked if he would like to go to Officer Candidate School. He accepted because of the salary increase. Afterward, he was then asked if he wanted to attend helicopter flight school. He accepted because of another bump in salary. Finally, he was on his way to Safety School with yet another salary increase. Then it was off to Vietnam, where his first assignment was as a safety officer investigating aircraft failures and accidents. After analysis, he would advise command on how to fix the problem. After several months, he was assigned to the 1st Aviation Brigade as a Huey pilot in the Highlands. He flew as pilot in command on missions to transport supplies and personnel, taking troops to and from firebases while often under heavy fire.
He was shot down twice over the jungles and had to fight hand-to-hand combat to escape to a location where he himself had to be rescued by yet another Huey pilot. He was promoted to Captain for his bravery and efforts. When his tour ended, he was stationed at an Army post in the Panama Canal Zone as a safety and supply officer. He had sustained an inner ear injury in combat and was not happy being grounded. But, he bought a used sports car from a departing fellow officer and continued his thrill-seeking on local roads and highways. He also had a used 16-ft motorboat, in which he would transit the Canal for a few dollars, right alongside huge ships.
He spent five years in the military, and upon separation, moved to Fairfax County, Virginia. He was a life long member of the VFW with his last membership being the local VFW Post 7873 in Pottsboro, TX.
It can be admitted now that he spent several months supporting himself by street racing out in the county. He finally got a job with the Fairfax County Police Department. When a private citizen donated a used helicopter to the department, Glenn was tapped to create the first aviation unit. He was thrilled to be airborne again. He then got word that U.S. Customs Service was creating units of pilot/agents for drug interdiction by air. So, he applied, aced the flight test, and was off to El Paso, TX. There, he and his team chased smugglers by air and captured them on the ground. His group formed a SWAT team, and he went undercover to infiltrate drug dealers in South America. As a parachutist (800+ jumps), he was loaned out to the DEA to infiltrate a skydiving group in Florida that was suspected of illegal activity. While in El Paso, he continued to skydive, was a competitive long-distance cyclist, bought a glider and competed in soaring races, and began entering downhill skiing competitions. See a trend here? He was sent to San Angelo, TX, as a unit supervisor, limiting his flying time. Oh well, another pay raise.
It was in San Angelo where he met Reba Browning, his future wife, at the local Corvette club. When he retired, they moved to Lake Texoma near Pottsboro. He took up bass fishing and boating. Reba began searching for outdoor sculptures for their large lot overlooking the lake. When she found one at a gallery and took Glenn to see it, he said he could make one for her. He immediately enrolled in the next welding class at Grayson County College and ended up taking every welding class that was offered. This began an 18-year collaboration of creating, selling, and exhibiting metal sculptures. Reba designed them, and Glenn did the fabrication. He also used his skill to craft metal gates, furniture, and garden fixtures, as well as repair metal sheds, trailers, and fences. The couple traveled extensively all over the country as well as to overseas locations. Glenn got very involved in motorcycling, joining the Blue Knights law enforcement riding club, the Iron Butt group for long-distance/endurance riding, and the Tour of Honor charitable riding association. The couple bought their beloved “his and hers” Mini Coopers and attended Mini rallies around the country.
Time was running out for him when he developed two autoimmune diseases. Recently, two different cancers rapidly took their toll.
Glenn was predeceased by his parents and his sister Diann McLean. He is survived by Reba, niece Laura Hopkins (Patrick), great-niece Ashley Adams (Relo), great-nephews JT Hopkins (Angela) and Ryan Hopkins, brother-in-law David Browning (Dolly), and niece Gaelle Misleh (Justin).
A memorial graveside service will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2025, beginning at 1:30 pm at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75211.
