James A. Spearot

Dr. James Anthony “Jim” Spearot, age 80, of Colorado Springs, CO, passed away peacefully May 21st, 2025, at his residence. He was born April 26th, 1945, in Hartford, CT, the son of William Spearot and Nellie B. Spearot.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother Joseph Christo. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Dr. Rebecca M. Spearot, two sons, Douglas Edward Spearot and Alan Christopher Spearot, two daughters-in-law, Michelle Lynn Spearot and Stacey Christine Blasing, and his brother’s children and their families.

Jim attended Syracuse University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1967. He received his Masters and Doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware in 1970 and 1972, respectively, under the mentorship of Professor Arthur Metzner focusing on rheology. At the University of Delaware, Jim met Rebecca Moore of East Dereham, Norfolk, England. They were married August 4th, 1973, at North Elmham Church in England and subsequently moved to Detroit, Michigan.

Jim began his career at General Motors (GM) in 1972 as an Assistant Senior Research Engineer in the Fuels and Lubricants Department. Over his nearly 40-year career at GM, he held positions of increasing responsibility, culminating in his appointment as Head of the Fuels and Lubricants Department in 1992 and then Director of the Chemical and Environmental Sciences Laboratory at the GM Research and Development Center in 1998. Jim also served as the Chief Scientist of GM’s Powertrain Division. Jim is a Fellow of Society of Automotive Engineers and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from U.S. Council for Automotive Research.

Upon their retirement, Jim and Rebecca moved to Breckenridge, CO, where they enjoyed skiing in the winter and playing golf in the summer. They also traveled extensively, and in particular, enjoyed visiting historical hotels in Colorado. They moved to Colorado Springs, CO, in 2024.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in memory of Jim to support the James and Rebecca Spearot Scholarship in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware. Gifts can be made via the University of Delaware’s secure website, www.udel.edu/makeagift Scroll down to “I’d like to search for a different option” and search for the “James and Rebecca Spearot Scholarship”. Gifts can also be made via check. Please send contributions to: University of Delaware, Gifts Processing, 83 E. Main St., 3rd Fl., Newark, DE 19716. Make checks payable to: “University of Delaware” and include on the memo line “In memory of Dr. James A. Spearot”.