Spencer Gerard Nauta

Spencer Gerard Nauta was born on March 31, 1994, and passed away on December 13, 2023. He was 29 years old.

Spencer was full of life and lightheartedness. His smile, charisma, jovial personality, and hearty laugh enveloped you and made him an instant friend of nearly anyone he met. His big personality made him the life of the party. He was also polite and selfless. If he had something you wanted, he’d give it to you. He was competitive and hated to lose. He enjoyed friends, football, rock climbing, chess, fishing, breakdancing, and Spongebob Square Pants.

When he was young, if he saw an action movie, he became engrossed with that superhero until he became enamored with the next one. For example, after watching a Spiderman movie, he donned a Spidey outfit, put super glue on his hands, and tried to climb the kitchen walls. He got stuck, removing sections of paint and sheetrock paper when he was extracted. His dad left the patched, unfinished walls “as-is” to this day to remind him of Spencer’s imagination and ingenuity.

There was never a dull moment with Spencer. He was full of stories and adventures, and who knows? Some of them might have even been true. He has always been a kid at heart. Even from a young age, Spencer was fearless. He loved a rush of adrenaline, whether from sports or turning any environment into a makeshift jungle gym. He always thought he was Superman. Invincible. Which served to provoke his willingness to take risks. Even with his growing list of emergency room visits, broken bones, and stitches, he was proud to show off his new scars and remained undaunted for the next adventure until the end.

Spencer’s life challenges gave him great empathy and compassion for others. He was one to give the literal shirt off his back, or shoes on his feet if he saw someone who needed it more than he did. Although he spent most of his adult life living on the streets, he was known to give his last dollar to someone begging for money.

He was persevering. No matter how much opposition he faced, he often professed his belief in our Lord, Jesus Christ. He never lost sight of wanting to help others with words of hope and trying to do some good in his world. He loved food and often dreamed of becoming a chef or opening a restaurant. He recently spoke of wanting to go to school to pursue a career in social work.

He is survived by his dad Paul Nauta, mom Pamela (Pam), siblings Taylor (Katie), Sharlene West (Ethan), Lena, and Grandmother Connie White.

A memorial service will be held in his honor at 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 22, 2023, at 3407 West 9625 South, South Jordan, Utah, 84095.

The interment will be held later in a private family gathering. There will be no viewing. Friends are welcome to come at 10:00 a.m. and stay afterward to visit with the family, share stories, or extend condolences.

Donations may be made to Spencer’s family at @Paul-Nauta on Venmo.