Melinda Menezes James “Rusty” Spieler, Jr., 52, of Columbia, MO passed away July 8, 2020, at Lake Regional Hospital. He was born in St. Louis on April 16, 1968 and was loved and adopted as an infant by Jim and Audrey Spieler. Throughout his youth from 8 - 18 he was a competitive swimmer and traveled to swim meets throughout Missouri and Kansas, swam on the Hickman High team, and made a friendship exchange to Leicester, England with the Columbia Swim Club.

Melinda Menezes He loved to learn and was a good student, graduating from Hickman High school, the University of Missouri, The University of Kansas School of Medicine and an Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Missouri Hospital Clinics, Columbia, MO. He began his internal medicine practice in 1999 at the Audrain Medical Center, Mexico, MO. Following that he became a Hospitalist for the rest of his career starting with St. Johns Hospital, Springfield, MO.

Melinda Menezes In addition to swimming, biking, camping, hiking, and fishing, Rusty enjoyed oil painting, landscape gardening, and cooking. For those who were fortunate enough to cross paths with him socially or professionally, they found him to be kind, thoughtful, intelligent and well informed. It felt wonderful to see him smile and laugh. He was a gentle, kind soul and spent much time and personal resources lifting up those who needed his amazing compassion. His memorials will be focused on his acts of kindness.

Melinda Menezes Rusty is is survived by his Mother, Audrey ‘Schalk’ Spieler, his sister, Leslie Spieler-Winn and her husband Rick Winn, his nephew, Jackson Winn, his significant other, Dr. Melinda Menezes, and her two sons, Victor and Tomas.

Melinda Menezes You are invited to a Zoom Celebration of Rusty’s life which is being planned to air in the next few weeks. A Link to the celebration or embedded video will be posted here when available.

Melinda Menezes Rusty was a kind and gentle soul who dedicated time and resources to helping people in need. To continue his legacy of love, please support a cause close to Rusty or consider performing a random act of kindness for someone in your community. Some of Rusty's personal acts of kindness included: Providing shelter and safety to a friend experiencing homelessness, supporting the Central Missouri Food Bank, caring for his patients, planting trees, and offering food and income support to friends and family in need.