David Lloyd Spears' Obituary
David Lloyd Spears (Babe) passed away peacefully on December 30th, 2023 in Marionville, Missouri at the age of 85. He is survived by his wife of 60 years Alice Faye Spears of Springfield, Missouri (formerly of Tulsa OK); his son David Spears II of Marionville; his daughter Elizabeth (Spears) Johnston and son-in-law Andy Johnston of Springfield; two grandchildren, Allison Johnston of Tulsa Oklahoma and Ben Johnston of Springfield; and his brothers Steve, Pete, Jon, and Mike Spears. He was preceded in death by his parents, JT and Reba Spears, and his brother Gary Spears.
David was born in Hulbert, Oklahoma on September 24th, 1938. He attended school in Hulbert and Tahlequah. He attended Northeastern State University where he received his B.Ed. and his M.T. degrees. He married Alice Faye (Hallford) Spears on May 5th, 1962. His first teaching job was for Sequoyah Schools, where he taught industrial arts, and math, as well as coaching basketball and driving a school bus. He then went on to a long career at Tulsa Public Schools as an industrial arts teacher at Bell, Skelly, and Whitney. His students participated in many state and national competitions building and racing CO2 dragsters (using skills that included woodworking, engineering, and aerodynamics) winning many awards. He was named Oklahoma Industrial Arts Association Teacher of the Year for 1982-1983. He retired from teaching in 1990. After retirement, David and Alice, along with David (Davy) traveled, went camping, and attended St. Louis Cardinal baseball games. Eventually, they bought their beloved lake house and spent many weekends there.
David was a quiet man, but he had a dry sense of humor and quick wit. His students loved him and remembered him as a no-nonsense teacher mixed with silliness (apparently he would read the school lunch menu aloud to his homeroom every day and make up interesting names for the entrees). He loved his wife Alice more than anyone in the world and would do anything to make her happy. He also adored his two grandchildren. He was an excellent builder and construction designer, as well as a master of building furniture. He loved watching football, particularly the University of Oklahoma. He also enjoyed fishing and boating. He adored his wife’s cooking, especially beans and cornbread.
Visitation will be held from 5 - 7 PM on Friday, January 12, 2024, at Floral Haven Funeral Home, 6500 S. 129th E. Avenue, Broken Arrow OK.
Funeral services will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to Green County Habitat For Humanity in David’s name. https://greencountryhabitat.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donations
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