Jay H. Spear, 89, a longtime resident of Heber, left his earthly home to return to his heavenly home surrounded by his adoring family Saturday night May 28, at Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Show Low. Funeral services were held June 4 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Heber. Interment was in the Heber Cemetery. The first of Lawrence George Spear and Mary Elsie Wheeler’s six children, Jay was born April 13, 1927, behind the post office in Cortez, Colo. He graduated from Snowflake High School in 1945. To his mother’s delight, at age 17 he was baptized into the LDS church on the same day as his sister and father. Being drafted into the Army during World War II, he served mainly at Camp Hood, Texas, and was honorably released as a sergeant on March 13, 1947. On furlough, his cousin introduced him to Ruby Lee Maynes at a dance in Cortez. He made Ruby his wife in the LDS Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 27, 1947. To their union were born five daughters. To support his family, he took increasingly better jobs in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Oregon. He and Ruby were unafraid to pull up roots and move time after time for a better job or a better home. He settled into the insurance business and became an underwriter, owning his own company, US Underwriters. At age 55 he sold his business and retired so he and Ruby could serve multiple missions for the Lord they so deeply loved. Survivors include his wife, Ruby; five daughters Trudy (and Kent) Thurgood of Veyo, Utah, Jeannie (and Jeff) Larson of Provo, Utah, Dawna (and Ray) Booth of Eagle, Ida., Paula (and Steve) Johnson of Gresham, Ore., and Brenda Giblin of Lake Oswego, Ore.; 19 grandchildren; 48 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; a sister, Patty (and the late Lanar) Cluff of Overgaard; and three brothers, Larry (and Beth) Spear of Overgaard, Joe (and Marilyn) Spear of Payson and Denny (and the late Karen) Spear of Payson. He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Naoma Corbin; and three great-grandchildren. Owens Livingston Mortuary of Show Low was in charge of the arrangements.
