William Hall (“Bill”) Spencer passed away on April 11, 2026, at his home in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was 87 years old.

Bill Spencer was born in Newberry, South Carolina, and grew up in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and later Mooresville, North Carolina. His humble beginnings instilled in him a strong work ethic and drive for a life of uncommon achievement.

He was, from the beginning, an outstanding student, attending Duke University as an undergraduate on an Anger B. Duke Scholarship. Duke Medical School followed, where he graduated first in his class. He went on to an internship in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins and returned to Duke for a cardiology fellowship. He then moved to Houston where his career took off. He built a successful interventional cardiology practice, later adding electrophysiology to the same, and sought out a non-conventional approach to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy when the standard strategies didn’t satisfy him. He was the first physician in the U.S. to perform a groundbreaking procedure known as alcohol septal ablation and traveled the world to train other physicians on the procedure. He became Chief of Cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine but, ultimately, was drawn back to South Carolina where he settled on Kiawah Island and taught at the Medical University South Carolina until his retirement. In 2001, the Duke Medical Alumni Association honored him with the Distinguished Alumnus Award for his contributions to patient care and cardiology research.

Bill loved the South Carolina coast, particularly the salt marsh and tidal creeks where he spent his time fishing, crabbing, and bird watching. He was an avid runner, tennis player, and golfer, and enjoyed walks along the beach collecting golf balls (amassing a vast collection that he would use and pass along to friends and family). During the limited downtime he allowed himself, he continued to expand his pursuits by studying such topics as astrophysics and classical music.

He was a consummate Duke basketball fan and rarely missed a game. With enthusiasm and joy, he would recount the details of a game that took place decades prior and regale friends and family with stories of his beloved Blue Devils.

What Bill Spencer’s patients and colleagues saw in the clinic, those who loved him saw at home. He was focused, consistent and trustworthy. He provided steadily and without fanfare for those in his care. He leaves behind a legacy of continuous learning and excellence.

Bill is predeceased by his oldest son and survived by his loving wife Ann, four children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, as well as devoted friends across Texas and South Carolina.