Arthur Harrington Spear, Jr.

Arthur Harrington Spear Jr., age 88, of Henderson, Nevada passed away on Saturday, August 27, 2022. He was born March 8, 1934 in Brooklyn, New York to Dorothy Bird Spear and Arthur H Spear Sr. Arthur was an only child who sought out some cool friends who became like brothers sharing many years of fun, sports and lots of mischief. He attended Huntington High School in Long Island, New York where he joined the track team and broke the record for the one mile run at 4 minutes and 34.4 Seconds. He was very proud that he got his name and picture in the newspaper; and a track star was born.

When Arthur was 18 years old, he met his soulmate, Lyn, a pretty 14 year old who had her eye on him while hanging out in their group of friends. There were chances for lots of dances and fancy restaurants and movie dates and high heels. It wasn’t long before the couple got engaged at the top of the Empire State Building in New York City.

Married life started on St. Patrick’s Day in 1956 followed by the birth of their first child. The couple were blessed with four children. Arthur always supported Lyn, and helped out with her family. As a result, the young couple brought in Lyn's sister at the age of 8, and they raised her along with their growing family; creating memories to last a lifetime. The couple worked very hard for each other, but always found time for fun with parties in their New York basement. Lyn, in turn supported Arthur as he continued his love of running (96 miles a week at his peak marathon workouts), running impressive times in the NYC marathon and other half marathons.

To support his family, Arthur worked at Grumman Aerospace Corporation as a forcaster and engineer. While his accomplishments were in abundance, the one he was most proud of was being a part of the design team for the lunar module for Apollo 11. He worked there for many years prior to retiring.

Arthur's love of running was an inspiration to many. His example encouraged his daughter and grandchildren to take up running early on. As a result his granddaugher became a cross country runner; competing for her second season. After gaining some attention in the paper running with his sister-in-law at the local high school track, the girls in the neighborhood were curious and started running with him too. Eventually the Cinderbelles track team was born. Many joined him and they shared years of wins, some losses, and long friendships. He was also a mentor to more than a hundred girls on the Cinderbelles track team. Many kept in touch over the years, singing his praises even today that they wouldn’t be the people they are today without having met Coach Spear.

Arthur was an outgoing, and energetic man whom enjoyed numerous activities. In addition to running, he also enjoyed baseball, water-skiing, snow skiing, boating and camping. He loved the water so much, that he bought a boat and named it Poodle II. Arthur enjoyed many fun filled summer vacations with his family on the boat and sleeping in tents at the beach.

Arthur was handsome, funny, and had a heart of gold. He was loving, soft-spoken, kind brave, a lover of all animal life, a history buff, mechanic; a fixer of problems big and small, and had the patience of a saint. Lyn and Bud were always giving up their time and limited money to help others and take care of their parents and grandparents near and far. They were givers never takers. They gave and gave even if it hurt and never asked for anything in return. The couple were an excellent example for others to follow. Arthur touched many many lives and he will be truly missed.

Arthur is survived by his wife, Roslyn W. Latkowski Spear; Children: Cherylann D. Menayas (Emmanuel), Carolyn Jamie Andrews (Richard Castine Jr.), Karen C. Spear (Ralph Ellinwood), and Arthur H. Spear III (Mindy); sister-in-law, Kathy Geiger (Paul); grandchildren: Jason Thomas, Staci Eddy (C. Matthew), Alexander Menayas, Rosalie Spear (Keegan Buck), Arthur H. Spear IV, Cassie Christensen and Arizpe Ellinwood; and four great grandchildren. Arthur was preceded in death by his father, Arthur H. Spear Sr.; mother, Dorothy C. Bird; and his four-legged friend, Coco.

A visitation for Arthur will be held Friday, September 2, 2022 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Funeral services will be Saturday, September 3, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, both at Palm Boulder Highway Mortuary, 800 South Boulder Highway, Henderson, NV 89015. Arthur will be laid to rest following at Palm Eastern Cemetery, 7600 S Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89123.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to one of Arthur's favorite charities: Alzheimer's Foundation of America, Nathan Adelson Hospice, or The Dumb Friends League. Donations can be made online by selecting one of the links below. For the Dumb Friends League If you would like to donate by mail, please send checks to:

Dumb Friends League

2080 S. Quebec St.

Denver, CO 80231-3298

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.palmboulderhighway.com for the Spear family.