Helen Jeanne Spears' Obituary
Helen Jeanne (Jackson) Spears, Tulsa writer and Novelist, died on October 21, 2017. She was born on April 6, 1922, in Harrison, Arkansas, the daughter of T.Leslie and Leckie Jackson. Helen attended the University of Arkansas. There she met Jack Spears, to whom she was married on May 14, 1942. Throughtout her married life she lived in Tulsa, where her husband was Executive Director of Tulsa County Medical Society prior to his retirement in 1985. They were gifted with two sons, Jack, Jr. and Richard Thomas. After her children reached maturity, Helen became a licensed real estate agent and was associated with the Rooney Company for thirteen years. She then became a free-lance writer, authoring six novels, including several in the popular Avalon series of romance novels, and numerous articles for such publications as the Saturday Evening Post and Modern Maturity. Helen was Past-President of Tuesday Writers of Tulsa. Over the years she was recipient of several awards for excellence in creative writing in competitions sponsored by the Oklahoma Writers Foundation, Friends of the Tulsa Public Library, and other organizations. Helen was a member of Kappa Gamma Gamma sorority, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Boston Avenue United Methodist Church. She was a gifted pianist and violinist, a devotee of both classical and popular music, and a talented artist in oil painting. Survivors include son Jack Spears, Jr. and wife Bonnie, Falls Church, Virginia; son Richard T Spears and wife Vickie, Tulsa; granddaughter Dr. Leslie Ann Spears, Tulsa; great-granddaughter Audrey Chapman, Tulsa; sister Mary Larson, Little Rock, Arkansas; and sister Judith McAlister and husband Floyd, Greensboro, North Carolina. She was preceded by her parents T. Leslie and Leckie Jackson; her sister Janet Machen and husband Ben Machen.There will be private family services.
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