Alan C. Spaeth

Alan Colin Spaeth, 71, beloved father, grandfather, brother, and friend, passed away peacefully on September 18, 2025, in Richmond, Texas, after a long battle with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Born on February 22, 1954, in Wichita Falls, Texas, Alan was the youngest of three children of F Joe Spaeth and Loretta Rohmer Spaeth. He grew up in Longview, where he developed a love for football, baseball, photography, and waterskiing on Lake Cherokee, a place that remained dear to him throughout his life. He also achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, an accomplishment that reflected his dedication and character early in life. Alan graduated from Longview High School before attending Texas Tech University, where he earned a degree in graphic design. Alan built a distinguished career in Dallas and Chicago as an art director and graphic designer. In Dallas, he joined the newly formed advertising firm of Robert A. Wilson, where his creativity and talent earned him multiple Art Directors Club Awards. His career took him to Chicago for nearly twenty years, where he served as art director for Robertz Webb and Company, creating work for clients such as McDonald’s, the Federal Reserve Bank, and Nalco Chemicals, as well as designing a nationwide traveling exhibition for Bally Manufacturing. He later worked with Recycled Paper Greeting in Chicago and went on to co-found Communication Resource Group in Evanston with his former wife, Mary. Alan’s artistry, attention to detail, and creative vision shaped his professional life until he returned to Dallas, where he continued working until his retirement in 2014. Alan and his former wife, Mary, raised their children, Erika and Daniel, in Dallas and Chicago. He was a devoted father, always cheering from the sidelines at sporting events, driving to music and theater practices, and accompanying them on travels near and far. He enjoyed good food, Bob Dylan, bike rides, scout campouts, and sailing with friends. Golf games with the men’s club at St. Joseph’s Church in Wilmette were another favorite pastime. In later years, Alan enjoyed endlessly tinkering with his Lake Highlands home, reconnecting with lifelong friends on annual trips to Lake Caddo, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. He especially loved his bike rides around White Rock Lake and his passion for exploring new restaurants across Dallas. Family was at the heart of his life, and he cherished every opportunity to connect, whether at home in Texas or traveling to visit loved ones. His grandchildren brought him tremendous joy, and he treasured time with Braden, Hudson, Levi, Chloe, and Stella. Alan was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Loretta Spaeth. He is survived by his daughter, Erika Spaeth Tuff, and her husband, Kevin, with their sons, Braden and Hudson; his son, Daniel Spaeth, and his wife, Jessica, with their children, Levi, Chloe, and Stella; his brother, Everett Spaeth, and his wife, Becky; his sister, Linda Robinett; as well as nieces, nephews, and extended family. After a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 60, Alan was diagnosed with CAA—a form of dementia that gradually took away his ability to speak and comprehend. Yet through more than a decade of challenges, he continued to meet the world with quiet strength. A smile was always answered with a smile, and laughter always echoed his own. Alan spent the first years of his illness with Everett and Becky in Dallas, surrounded by the lively presence of his niece and nephew’s families, and later moved closer to Erika and her family in Houston, where he lived in a memory care facility. As the disease advanced, the focus and attentiveness he showed his grandchildren remained, often in sharp contradiction to the decline visible in every other aspect of his life. At the park, the pool, or simply within the walls of his residence, his focus was always on their happiness and safety. Remarkably, his athletic abilities (love of movement and play) never left him—he chased after the children and played catch with them until the very end. Alan will be remembered as a kind and gentle soul, defined by his sincerity, patience, and laughter. His legacy endures in the art he created, the bonds he nurtured, and the joy he found in life’s simple moments. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to organizations supporting research into Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (Make a gift to Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Research) or to the University of Texas San Antonio Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative disease (Support Our Mission - Biggs Institute).

Alan C. Spaeth

February 22, 1954 - September 18, 2025