August 14, 1935 – November 9, 2021
Educator
Willa Fay Spicer, 86, died at home in Skillman on November 9, 2021.
She was born August 14, 1935 in Ohio, the daughter of Samuel and Lenabel Fisher. She was a graduate of Wellesley College, and received her master’s degree from Radcliffe College.
Willa was an educator and administrator who began teaching in Trenton. She then worked in South Brunswick, first as a principal, and then as assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for more than 20 years. After South Brunswick, she worked as director of the New Jersey Performance Assessment Alliance before becoming the Deputy Commissioner of Education in New Jersey. She continued to be deeply involved in the New Jersey public school system, working as an educational consultant for many years.
Willa also advocated strongly for the arts in education. She was on the board of Young Audiences, and delighted in sharing the arts with her family and friends.
Willa is preceded in death by her husband, Michael Spicer, and her two siblings, Stephen and Marylee Fisher. She is survived by her three children Ellen, Jennifer, and Andrew as well as her many grandchildren.
Donations may be made in Willa’s memory to Sprouts U. School of the Arts in Trenton (sproutuschoolofthearts.org) or Young Audiences NJ (yanjep.org). Both organizations have a donation tool on their websites.
