By Nicole Hamilton
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Mr. Spiess

CLIFTON - Philip Spiess, a retired supervisor for Cincinnati Gas & Electric Company, was "quite a humorist," according to his son, Philip Spiess II.

"In that regard, he was also very outgoing and social," said his son of Springfield, Va.

Famous for his historical vignettes that he would read at monthly meetings with the Retired Engineers Society of Cincinnati, his son said people would attend the meetings to hear his father's stories - preferring them to those of the guest lecturer.

Mr. Spiess died Thursday at Hospice of Cincinnati in Blue Ash after a long illness. The longtime former Clifton resident was 85.

Raised in Corryville, Mr. Spiess graduated from Hughes High School before beginning his career as a drafter with the Cincinnati Gas & Electric Company in 1936.

He married his wife, Dorothy Goepp, on February 1, 1941, and 10 days later, entered the U.S. Army. During World War II, he was stationed mostly in the South Pacific.

The first draftee to achieve the rank of master sergeant, he served as the regimental sergeant major of the 148th Infantry, 37th Division, and was honorably discharged in 1945.

Mr. Spiess resumed his work with CG&E when he returned home from the war, eventually becoming a supervisor in the 1950s.

"He was a mentor to many co-op students from the University of Cincinnati," his son said.

He also attended classes at the University of Cincinnati Evening College, where he earned a bachelor's of science degree in 1965.

A public speaker, he gave about 1,300 talks to civic and religious groups around Cincinnati.

Mr. Spiess retired from CG&E in 1983, after 471/2 years of service with the company.

He was also the broommaker at Sharon Woods Village until 1995.

He was named arbitrator of the month several times by the Cincinnati Better Business Bureau, and was arbitrator of the year in 1993.

Mr. Spiess was a member of the National Panel of Consumer Arbitrators, a Kentucky Colonel and Admiral, and former chairman of the scholarship committee of the Cincinnati chapter of the English-Speaking Union of the United States.

He was also a former Cub Scout Leader, assistant Scoutmaster and an Explorer Scout Adviser.

For 15 years, he chaired the Sunday family film programs for the Engineering Society of Cincinnati.

Mr. Spiess and his wife were longtime members of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Clifton, where he served as a deacon, elder and superintendent of the Sunday school.

In addition to his wife and son, survivors include a daughter, Barbara Spiess Neel of Arlington, Va.; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Service will be 3 p.m. today at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, 3445 Clifton Ave., Clifton. Burial will be in Spring Grove Cemetery.

Memorials: Hospice of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 633597, Cincinnati 45263-3597; or the American Lung Association, 11113 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash, 45242.

E-mail nhamilton@enquirer.com