Douglas Ray Spears passed away peacefully, surrounded by family in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 6, 2023 at the age of 64. He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Sally Spears (nee Patton) of Sharonville; his children- John (Kristina) Spears of Cincinnati, Jessica (Travis) Porter of Hilliard, and Rachel Spears of Cincinnati; his grandchildren- Gianna Spears of Guthrie, OK; and Hope Wanderi, Charles Porter, and Atticus Porter, all of Hilliard; his brother Barry (Vicki) Spears of Sharonville and sister Lori (Dwayne) May of West Harrison, IN; his mother-in-law, Betty Law of Wadsworth; his aunts and uncles- Betty (Bob) Dye of Mt. Carmel, Raymond Keller of Miamisburg, William (Donna) Spears of Maineville; and countless cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents Raymond and Bernice Spears of St. Bernard; his grandparents John and Mary (Haste) Sweet of Elmwood Place; and Edgar & Odessa (Dalton) Spears of Science Hill, KY.

Doug was a musician his entire life beginning with stories of standing on diner counters as a toddler being told he had to sing for his supper. He sang in churches, choirs, and Southern Gospel Quartets such as the Landmark Quartet, the Crownsmen and countless others. His rich baritone voice drew crowds to church altars, cruise karaoke contests, high school musical productions, weddings, funerals, civic events, and everything in between. While Doug was known as a trumpeter, he could fiddle around on almost any instrument - and some children’s toys - and make recognizable music. His understanding of and love for music led him to major in the subject at Northern Kentucky University after graduating from St. Bernard-Elmwood Place High School in 1977.

Doug was also an athlete and a fan of athletics. From playing basketball and baseball throughout childhood and high school to watching his kids play nearly every sport imaginable and coaching them in a few to being a lifelong, diehard fan of his Cincinnati Reds, Bengals, and Bearcats- sports ran in his veins. A love for playing and watching sports is a bond he shared with all three of his kids and brought him years of joy long after his body no longer allowed him to compete. Unfortunately, his wife never quite caught on.

He met his bride when they were 13 and 14 years old at Standing Stone State Park in Tennessee when several cabins were reserved by a combination of friends, families, and friends-that-hadn't-met-yet. They married at 19 and 20 and enjoyed 43 years of dancing, child-rearing, laughter, and travel. While the family trips generally involved Myrtle Beach, Florida, or Gatlinburg, the couple’s wanderlust took them as far as England, Kiribati, Antigua, Hawaii, St. Thomas, Mexico, the Bahamas, and countless points in between. Much farther than this Elmwood Place boy ever thought he’d go.

Doug was vice-president of his high school graduating class, prom king, and served previously as a trustee of Landmark Church. He volunteered coaching and officiating SYO sports in Sharonville. He even broke the gender barrier and became “Cookie Dad” for his daughters’ Brownie Girl Scout Troop. He spent six years serving on the School Board of Landmark Christian School and had the privilege of handing each of his three children their diplomas.

He could not have been any more proud of his children, who grew up to be strong, hardworking people with good ethics and the willingness to do something to be part of the solution for the problems they saw. They laugh hard, play hard, and love hard - much like their father.

Doug was known as a loyal friend to so many. He maintained friendships with many people for the duration of his life, but also made close friends at every age. No doubt his sense of humor, silly laugh, and love of a practical joke served to keep those friendships thriving after decades. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law, brother, son, uncle, cousin, and friend and he will be missed and remembered adoringly by many.

We are so grateful for the extreme efforts and skills employed by the medical community on his behalf which gave him decades beyond what was initially predicted. Beyond effort and skill, they brought a level of caring to his bedside that made a beautiful difference - both to him and to his family.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Christ Hospital LVAD Program, whose work ended up giving him several additional years. They are an amazing, experienced team of dedicated professionals and we cannot thank them enough.

Doug’s body was donated to medical research. Our deepest hope is that this has an impact on families like ours.

The family would love to see you and hear your stories of Doug at a Memorial Service.

Saturday, September 16, 2023

Visitation 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Service immediately to follow.

Landmark Church

1600 Glendale-Milford Road

Evendale, Ohio 45215

Pastor Matthew Holman, officiating.

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