Juliette (Ayres) Spears passed away on January 26, 2026, following a brief illness. She was 97 years old. Born on March 3, 1928, in San Antonio, TX, Juliette was the daughter of William Leake Ayres and Juliette (Pagenstecher) Ayres.
She graduated from Purdue University in 1949, where she met her husband of 62 years, Donald George Spears, who predeceased her in 2012. She lived in Fort Wayne, IN for most of her life, where she raised her children.
She is survived by her daughter Julie Spears (Jeanne), sons Eric Spears (Sherri Bale) and Mark Spears (Rita), and her daughter-in-law Gabriele Spears. She was predeceased by her son Jim Spears. She also leaves to treasure her memory nine grandchildren (David Sanders, Nathan Bale, Collette Meagher, Allyson, Amy, Viktoria, Steven, Brian, and Kevin Spears) and seven great-grandchildren.
Juliette was a talented seamstress and embroiderer, enjoyed traveling the world with her husband. She loved cats, playing bridge, hosting exchange students from other lands, swimming, and various volunteer activities in the community. She was a member of the American Association of University Women until her passing.
She will be deeply missed by her family and all those whose lives she touched.
