Edward Austin Spear

Edward Austin Spear, 98, died Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at Sunrise Assisted Living in Atlanta. Born March 27, 1919 in Valley, Alabama, Ed was the middle child of nine children. Ed’s high school athleticism led him out of the textile mill to Livingston State Teacher’s College where he excelled at baseball, basketball, and football. Drafted into the Army Air Corp during World War II, he proudly served in Italy and Africa for 3 years, 6 months, and 22 days. After the war, he returned to Livingston where he met his wife Era to whom he was married until her death in 1986. A lifelong educator, Ed taught and coached all throughout Alabama, including Bay Minette (where he was inducted in the Baldwin County Athletic Hall of Fame), Scottsboro, and Demopolis where he became principal and superintendent. He retired in Prattville after working for almost two decades with the State Department of Education. After retirement, Ed travelled the world, including Russia, China, Australia, and the UK. He gardened until age 92 when he moved to Atlanta. An unofficial WWII scholar and avid reader, he also loved Braves baseball and never missed watching the Crimson Tide. His friends remember him as a man who loved to be the center of attention and was seldom at a loss for words. He was also marked by a strong sense of justice, concern for others, pride, and humor. Ed is preceded in death by his parents Chester and Lena Spear, his eight siblings, his wife, and his son Scott Spear. He is survived by children Mary Martha Spear and Mark (Cay) Spear, his grandson Daniel (Rachel) Spear, his great-granddaughter Lena Spear, his close family friend Morgan Carney, nieces and nephews. Gratitude is expressed to the caregivers at Sunrise at Buckhead for their devoted attention to Ed during his 7-year residency among them and to the personnel at Homestead Hospice for their support. Visitation will be at 1pm followed by services at 2pm on Monday, May 15 at Prattville Memorial Chapel and Memory Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Baptist Church in Prattville, Alabama, where Ed was a member for 45 years.

Edward Austin Spear

March 27, 1919 - May 9, 2017