Joseph A. Spears

May 26, 1930 - July 3, 2014 Mr. Spears, age 84 of Birmingham, AL, passed away at home on Thursday, July 3, 2014. He is survived by his wife of 55 years Katie Hemby Spears; his son Joseph A. Spears, Jr. (Beverly Nichols); daughters Susan Kay Stewart (Robert Stewart) and Carol Spears Chambless (Tim Chambless); grandson Joseph Alexander Spears; granddaughter Liliana Frances Chambless; brother John Spears (Ylonda Bradley) of Asheville NC and sister Doretha Spears Zearfoss (Ken Zearfoss) of Jacksonville, FL. He is preceded in death by his brother Thomas Joshua Spears and sister Leola Spears Leverett (Clarence). Born in Shady Dale, GA to the late Thomas Joshua and Ruth Mae Stovall Spears, he attended Georgia State College and graduated the University of Georgia Business School in Accounting. He was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army in the Signal Corp during the Korean conflict until 1951. Upon returning to Atlanta, he worked for Plantation Pipe Line as accountant and later started is selling career in 1960. Since 1979, he owned The Joe Spears Company, based in Hoover, Alabama. He was a Charter Member of the Riverchase United Methodist Church created in 1980 and was the first President of the Administrative Board. Visitation will be at 2:00pm, followed by the memorial service at 3:00 pm on Monday, July 7, 2014. Services will be held at the Riverchase United Methodist Church located at 1953 Old Highway 31, Birmingham, Alabama with burial at Southern Heritage in Pelham, Alabama.