of the city's Grosvenor Road, on 20 June 1953 at Wellwood Street Mission, Sandy Row. The couple had three daughters, Elizabeth (born 1954), Sandra (1956) and Catherine (1960). Louie died in 2003. Spence, a talented footballer in his youth with Old Lodge F.C., was a lifelong supporter of Linfield F.C. Death Spence died on 25 September 2011, aged 78, in a Belfast hospital; he had been suffering from a long-term illness and was admitted to hospital 12 days prior to his death. Spence was praised by, among others, PUP leader Brian Ervine, who stated that "his contribution to the peace is incalculable". Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly claimed that while Spence had been central to the development of loyalist paramilitarism, "he will also be remembered as a major influence in drawing loyalism away from sectarian strife". However, a granddaughter of Matilda Gould, a 74-year-old Protestant widow who had died from burns sustained in the UVF's attempted bombing of a Catholic bar next door to her home, objected to Spence being called a "peacemaker" and described him as a "bad evil man". The unnamed woman stated, "When you go out and throw a petrol bomb through a widow's window, you're no peacemaker." His funeral service was held in St Michael's Church of Ireland on the Shankill Road. Notable mourners included Unionist politicians Dawn Purvis, Mike Nesbitt, Michael McGimpsey, Hugh Smyth and Brian Ervine, UVF chief John "Bunter" Graham and UDA South Belfast brigadier Jackie McDonald. In accordance with Spence's wishes, there were no paramilitary trappings at the funeral or reference to his time in the UVF. Instead his coffin was adorned with the beret and regimental flag of the Royal Ulster Rifles, his former regiment. He was buried in Bangor. References External links BBC News, Thursday, 3 May 2007, "Loyalist veteran's path to peace" 1933 births 2011 deaths Loyalists imprisoned during the Northern Ireland conflict People convicted of murder by Northern Ireland Paramilitaries from Belfast People from Northern Ireland convicted of murder Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Northern Ireland Progressive Unionist Party politicians Royal Ulster Rifles soldiers Ulster Volunteer Force members Anglicans from Northern Ireland