Iris Gates McAnear, 88, of Decatur, AL passed away on Thursday September 29, 2022. Her visitation will be on Monday October 3rd from 6pm until 8pm at Roselawn Funeral Home. Her Celebration of Life service will begin at 12 noon on Tuesday October 4 at Roselawn Funeral Home chapel. She will be laid to rest in Roselawn Cemetery.
Mrs. McAnear is survived by her husband James Caros McAnear, son, James Timothy McAnear(Suzanne), daughter, Cheryl Gates McCamy(Don), grandchildren, Ella McAnear(Josh), Seth McAnear, Matthew Baldwin(Hannah), Caitlin McCamy Smith(Brian), Mary Gates McCamy, and brother Howard Gates.
She is preceded in death by her parents Herschel and Delia Gates, brothers, Allen Gates, Carl Gates, Byron Gates, Jerrold Gates, Mack Gates, sisters, Lorene Adams and Lucille Hargrove and beloved pets Heidi, Ashley, Tara, and Buddy.
Iris earned a B.S. from Athens State University and an M.A. degree in English from the University of Alabama. She was awarded Education Student of the year in 1966 and was a member of Sigma Tau Delta English honor society. She excelled in her career as an English teacher at both Austin and Decatur High Schools and was named Teacher of the Year in 1991. Iris was a lifelong scholar, learning new skills and continuing to add to her knowledge of literature and religious studies. She was a member of Austinville Church of Christ for most of her life and authored “The History of the Austinville Church of Christ.” She began and taught the Young Mothers class for many years. She was known for her compassion, empathy, and wisdom and utilized those talents to help and serve whenever needed. She was devoted to her family and loved all animals, especially dogs.
Mrs. McAnear believed that literature helped to explore the triumphs and trials of human nature and enabled readers to gain new perspectives and learn from the experiences of others. She loved the works of the transcendentalist writers. To paraphrase the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson to describe Iris McAnear, “she found the best in others, many lives breathed easier because she lived and she left the world a bit better.”
Serving as pallbearers will be Matthew Baldwin, Seth McAnear, Tony Mullican, Brian Smith, Josh Haywood, and Brian Favors.
The McAnear family thanks Glenda Dutton for her friendship and support over many years. The family extends a special thanks to Tasha, Virginia, Tiyana, and Makayla for their compassionate care during Mrs. McAnear’s illness.
Roselawn Funeral Home is assisting the family.
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