Emily Ann Humes Spence

Emily Ann Humes Spence passed away on August 20, 2025, at the age of 75. Born on May 3, 1950, in White Plains, New York, she was the beloved daughter of the late Pauline and Earl Humes.

Emily was a free spirit, full of intelligence, creativity, and passion. She embraced life with curiosity and imagination. She loved art, writing, and education, and delighted in sharing her creativity with children, family, and friends. With her wit, wisdom, and unconventional spirit, she touched lives in lasting ways.

She was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and a Ford Foundation Grant, and her work appeared in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the New Jersey State Museum. As a preschool teacher, she inspired countless children with her science lessons and elaborate art projects.

Emily will be remembered for her humor, resilience, and deep commitment to the environment and social justice. She is survived by her partner of 37 years, Andy, her daughter Sarah, and son-in-law Ionel, her grandchildren, her brother Michael, her sister Pamela, and their families.

My mom, Emily, was a free spirit, full of intelligence, creativity, and passion. With her wit, wisdom, and unconventional spirit, she touched lives in lasting ways, and hearing from others about how she was a bright light has shown just how deeply she inspired and touched us all.

We will deeply miss the special person she was. 

To honor her, we will gather for a Celebration of Life Service, where her ashes will be buried on Saturday, September 13 at 11:00 A.M. at Swan Dale Cemetery, 15 Hartford Avenue East, Mendon, MA.

A Lunch Reception will follow at 12:15 P.M. at the Willow Brook Restaurant, 16 Hastings St, Mendon, MA.

For those attending the service and lunch reception, please RSVP AT: https://evite.me

We look forward to honoring her light and sharing special memories about the gift that she was. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to an environmental fund of your choice, reflecting Emily’s lifelong passion for protecting the planet.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to an environmental fund of your choice, reflecting Emily’s lifelong passion for protecting the planet.