His parents, Charles and Martha (Farnum) Spears, welcomed their son into the world on August 31, 1947 in Keene, NH. He grew up in West Swanzey, NH and was a graduate of Monadnock Regional High School in Swanzey.
A hard worker, Joe sometimes worked several jobs at a time to support his family. Earlier on, he worked with Marlborough Manufacturing, the Keene Family YMCA, Joanne Fabrics, and later with Walmart Store in Keene.
In his earlier years, Joe was a volunteer with the West Swanzey Fire Department and participated on their muster team. He also was an avid bowler, participating on the Markem team at the former Zinn’s Lane in Keene. He also was a Cub Scout den leader for his son’s Cub Scout group and a chaperone for many of the school events.
Joe was an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan. He also enjoyed watching the races at the Monadnock Speedway as well as NASCAR.
His favorite memories were those created at family cookouts and vacations at the beach. He cherished the times spent with his family, especially his grandchildren.
Joe will be greatly missed by many, especially his wife of fifty years, Patricia A. "Patty" (Fletcher) Spears, of Keene; his two children, Jennifer M. Spears and Michael J. Spears, both of Keene; his grandchildren who fondly called him "Papi", Annalynn Elizabeth Spears and Flynn James Spears; his mother-in-law, Marlene Fletcher, of Keene; his sister-in-law, Tammy Fletcher of Keene; his brothers-in-law, John Fletcher and his wife, Noreen, of Marlborough, NH, James Fletcher of Wilson, NC, Tom Fletcher of Cambridge, MA; and many nieces, nephews and extended family members. Joe was predeceased by two brothers, Francis and Eugene; three sisters, Dorothy LaBounty, Martha Stowell, Shirley Short; and a sister-in-law, Kathy Degan.
A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at 1:00pm in the Monadnock View Cemetery, Park Avenue, Keene. Family and friends are invited to call on Tuesday evening from 5:00 to 7:00pm at the Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene. All those in attendance at the visitation are required to wear facemasks and to maintain the physical distancing protocols.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mr. Spears’ memory to the American Cancer Society, New Hampshire Division, 2 Commerce Drive, Suite 110, Bedford, NH 03110; or to the Monadnock Humane Society, 101 West Swanzey Road, West Swanzey, NH 03446.
