Richard Henry Spears

Words of Reflection

Richard Henry Spears Sr. was born on May 5, 1940, to Percy Spears and Odelia Jewett. Richard grew up in Paola, Kansas where he attended public schools.  He had a love for sports.  He ran track and was a running back on the high school football team.

Paola, Kansas being a small town, didn’t have the business industry for young people to find work.  There was no McDonalds or Wendy’s, but there was a Dairy Queen. Which led Richard to move to Kansas City, Kansas to find work.  He lived with his sister Barbara and her husband Clarence and family.

Richard united with Second Metropolitan Baptist Church and there he found a pretty young lady waiting just for him (Alice M. Marks). Richard and Alice were united in marriage on June 16, 1961.

Richard was a hard worker and great provider for his family.  He had no problem finding and keeping a job.  He worked for Rite Maid Paper Company, The Hilton Hotels, The Railroad, and retired from the City of Kansas City Kansas Water Pollution Department.

Richard loved to laugh and enjoyed having his family around him.  He loved playing dominos, cards, and tossing horseshoes.  But one of his most joyous pass times was planting his garden with his sons, Rick, and Fred, believing all the time that was what they always wanted to do.  Richard loved the Lord even in sickness he was still praising the Lord, looking to the hills from whence cometh his help.  He enjoyed listening to “My Soul has Been Anchored in the Lord”.

He was preceded in death by his father, Percy Spears; his mother, Odelia Jewett; seven brothers, Charles Ragland; Jerome Patillo; Aaron Patillo; Carl Patillo; Walter Spears; Herbert Spears; and Steven Spears; two sisters, Helen Gibson; and Carla Patillo.

Richard leaves to mourn his wife of sixty-one years Alice M. Spears; two sons, Richard H. Spears Jr.; and Frederick C. Spears Sr. (Mechelle); two daughters, Sheila M. Spears; and Marilyn D. Davis (Terry); sixteen grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren; three brothers, Melvin Spears (Sandy); Gary Patillo (Connie); and Raymond Patillo; three sisters, Barbara Taylor; Jessica Watkins; and Patricia Sargent; one aunt, Imogene; a host of family and friends. Richard H. Spears Sr. will be greatly missed by all of his family, friends, and loved ones. Please keep us in your prayers.

II Corinthians 5:8  We are confident, I say.  And willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Richard Henry Spears, please visit our floral store.