Zane E. Spires, Sr.

WEST COLUMBIA - Funeral services for Zane Erwin Spires, Sr., 64, will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 25, 2019 at First Baptist Church of Cayce with interment to follow in Oaklawn Cemetery in Pelion. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home, Lexington Chapel. Memorials may be made to the Jeff Chavis House or First Baptist Church of Cayce.

Zane was born September 2, 1954 in Cayce, SC, to the late Lowell C. and Margaret Love Spires. He gently passed away July 21, 2019 surrounded by his loving wife, children and grandchildren and was soon welcomed by his loving Father and family in heaven.

A graduate of Brookland-Cayce High School, Zane grew up and spent the remainder of his life in the West Columbia/Cayce area. He spent most of his youth around Frink St with the “Frink St Brats” playing ball, spending time with his friends and cousins and of course causing the occasional mischief. While at B.C. High School he met this long-legged beauty that he just had to have. He asked her out and she refused him because he was a football player. Most boys would have walked away licking their wounds and just moved onto the next, but not Zane. He had a stubborn streak in him, and he decided to show it with her. He asked her out for nearly a year before she finally gave in and said yes to one date. After that one date Ann Faust was hooked and they got married a few years later on June 4, 1977. They spent the next 43 years together until the Lord called him home.

Zane spent most of his time volunteering and working in public safety. He was a firefighter, dispatcher and EMT-B. While dispatching, he was the calming voice on the radio guiding his crews through the storm and ensuring that they had what they needed. While on the phone with family he again was the calming voice of reassurance to many. He helped guide births, CPR and other first responder measures over the phone to people who were scared, alone and didn’t know what to do. His compassion, calmness and guidance saved the lives of many.

Zane also loved working on cars and building cars. He had a passion for dirt track racing and spent many weekends in the “junkyard dog” at Columbia Speedway racing the night away. To the shock and dismay of those he raced with, “junkyard dog” won quite a few races despite being made of junkyard parts, duct-tape and dirt. He loved Studebakers most of all and worked on them most of his life in his spare time.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the Richland Heart Hospital, heart failure team and Prisma Home Health for their exceptional care.