David George Spacht was born March 30, 1952 in Whitpain Township. Dave built a tremendous legacy as a business owner, bluegrass musician, and a husband, father and grandfather — his most beloved roles. He lived his entire life on the Blue Bell homestead that his family owned and has resided on for over 120 years. As a child, he was an active participant in 4-H. He was a 1970 graduate of Wissahickon High School where also played basketball and ran track. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Ursinus College in 1974. After graduation, he worked alongside his father as a blacktop contractor, paving a literal path to his own business modeled on his dad’s hard work and honesty.

Dave owned and operated Spacht Sawmill i n Worcester Township, PA, serving the Philadelphia region since 1983. For over 40 years, he maintained it as a specialty mill, selling local hardwood lumber for furniture and fine woodworking. He ran the sawmill with a deep commitment to fair prices, always-in-stock jokes, freedom to browse, practical knowledge of woodcraft, and a never-ending supply of Hershey’s kisses. He always honored his mantra of “more friends, less profit.” A talented woodworker, he reserved his own skills for labor-of-love creations for friends and family.

Dave had a way of making things move from “okay” to “impressive” in all that he did. He was cherished for his kindness, loyalty, and sense of humor. He loved sharing a good story and a bad joke as often as any new listener would indulge him. He held an encyclopedic knowledge of sports and was an excellent bowler, rolling a perfect 300 at least half a dozen times. Dave picked the five-string banjo and brought together the bluegrass band Blackjack, which performed locally for over 40 years. He was often seen perched on the couch practicing on his prized Huber or Gibson banjos. Dave loved exploring new hobbies. He was a lifelong learner, an avid textbook reader, and a collector of antiques — especially old tools.

While his hobbies were numerous and varied, there was nothing more important to him than time with his family. He and his wife, Carol (Hansberry) Spacht, recently celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary. They married at Faith Church of Worcester, where he and his family attended for many years. In addition to his wife, he is survived by three children; Heather King and her husband, Christopher, of Catonsville, MD; his beloved grandchildren Lydia, Jonas and Mylah; Donald Spacht II and his wife, Lauren Sherman, of Los Angeles, CA; and Beth Anne Spacht and her husband, Jordan Grubbs, of Richmond, VA. He is also survived by a sister, Donna Law and her husband , Jim, of Lancaster, PA.

He was preceded in death by his best friend and father, Donald Spacht and his mother, Florence (Knoll) Spacht. On the wall of his sawmill office hung many framed photos of his loved ones, along with the Babe Ruth quote: “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”