August 2006 | Vol. 24, No. 8

Obituary – Merrill P. Spencer, M.D.

Merrill P. Spencer, M.D. (1922-2006)

Merrill P. Spencer, M.D. (1922-2006) passed away on July 3 after a prolonged illness. He was a Doppler ultrasound and Cardiovascular ultrasound pioneer and co-founder of Pacific Vascular Institute in Bothell, WA. Dr. Spencer was born in Pawnee, OK, Feb. 27, 1922. He received his college degree from Oklahoma Baptist, and his MD in 1945 from Baylor University, Houston, TX. From 1951 through 1962, he was Associate Professor of Physiology & Pharmacology at Bowman Gray School of Medicine in NC where he taught and performed world leading research in the dynamics of blood flow. Dr. Spencer moved to Seattle in 1963 to become Director of the Virginia Mason Research Center for 7 years. He founded the Institute of Applied Physiology & Medicine (IAPM) with Dr. Jack Reid in 1972. Dr. Spencer developed a Doppler device to diagnose blockages in carotid arteries, a leading cause of stroke. He opened the first vascular laboratory in Seattle at Providence Hospital, then Swedish, Northwest, Stevens, and Valley Hospitals. In 1987 Dr. Spencer co-founded Pacific Vascular Inc., which operates 14 locations in Western Washington. After leaving Pacific Vascular in 1992, Dr. Spencer co-founded a new company called Spencer Technologies, Inc., which has developed Transcranial Doppler (TCD) instrumentation to diagnose blood flow conditions in the brain and to detect emboli in flowing blood. Thousands of research papers have now been published utilizing this technique relating to stroke, heart valve problems, heart defects, cardiovascular surgeries, stent placements, and recently Alzheimer. Dr. Spencer is survived by his loving wife of 34 years Joanne Ellen Spencer, stepchildren Scott Seidel (Kajsa), Penny Carey (Bryan), and Jill Seidel, and grand children Lindsay Seidel Klick (Jason), Hillary Seidel, and Derek Spencer. Remembrances in Dr. Merrill Spencer's name are encouraged to the American Stroke Association (https://donate.americanheart.org/ecommerce/asa/asa_index.jsp). Funeral services for Dr. Spencer were held on July 8 in Seattle, WA.