Leah Ann Spencer

Leah Ann Spencer of Denton, MD, died Monday, October 16, 2023. Born March 3, 1940, in Wilmington, DE, she was the daughter of the late Dr. Francis Erle Spencer and Mrs. Margaret (Peggy) Haines and the younger sister of Richard (Dick) Spencer. After her parents divorced and her mother married William E. Haines, Leah moved to Bethesda, MD, where she graduated from Bethesda Chevy Chase High School in 1958. Leah lived in Paris for a year before moving to California where she met John Abruzzese. They married and lived in San Francisco before returning to the East Coast. They resided in Bethesda, where they had their son, Philip Abruzzese, then outside of Annapolis on the West River, where they had their daughter, Spencer Abruzzese, before relocating to Washington, DC, where they had another daughter, Sarah Abruzzese. Leah was an administrator for the St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School in Washington. She and John Abruzzese divorced in 1986. In 1988, she bought Fete Accomplie Catering Company, which she owned and operated for many years. It was through catering and entertaining that Leah came alive. Many loyal clients who visited her at her shop on Macomb Street in Northwest Washington and used her catering services became friends. She was thrilled to have fed Presidents, Supreme Court Justices, Speakers of the House, countless Cabinet Members, and at least one Chairman of the Federal Reserve. She enjoyed travels with friends and family. Among her favorite moments: riding an elephant in Thailand, painting watercolors in Tuscany, and touring the canals of France on a barge. With her daughters, Leah insisted that no trip to Paris was complete without a drink at the Georges V. Another favorite destination was visiting friends in Sweden. Every trip inspired her to add something new to a catering menu. Leah was an intuitive and spontaneous cook. Friends would beg her for recipes, and she would graciously share a list of ingredients with amounts like "just enough" and directions of "until it looks right." Leah loved a good meal, a chilled martini, and a great party. She was happiest when unexpected guests would arrive at her door. She would whip up a delicious feast for a full table of revelers or light a cozy fire and provide a dinner tray. In her later years, she moved into her "dream home," a converted mill from the 1700s on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She loved being a grandmother and insisted that her grandchildren call her LeLe. And she loved her many dogs, whom she rescued and welcomed into her home. In her children and grandchildren, Leah instilled her tremendous work ethic, penchant for entertaining, and call to serve others. She is survived by her children Philip, Spencer, and Sarah (James Rogan); her brother Richard (Nancy); her nephew Richard (Annamarie); her niece Lisa Mulford (Philip Mulford); and her beloved grandchildren Kendall, Annalise, and Grady Abruzzese and Henry Rogan; and many dear friends.

Leah Ann Spencer

March 3, 1940 - October 16, 2023