James D. Spear

James D. Spear

Leavenworth, Kan.

James D. Spear, formerly of Marion, Iowa, passed away Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, after a long battle with diabetes, heart problems and ultimately pancreatic cancer. Jim was born Jan. 8, 1946, the third son of Wm. Everett Spear and Frieda H. Martinson. The family resided in Amber, Iowa, a small village of 12 families located near Monticello, Iowa. When Jim was a year old, the family moved to Anamosa, Iowa, and when he was eight they moved to Marion, Iowa.

Jim was active in sports when growing up and was one of the original players in the Marion Little League Baseball program as catcher for the Katz Salvage team. He enjoyed playing baseball and basketball and was usually picked to play with his older brothers on the teams they played with. Jim was a three-sport letterman at Marion HS. He was on the last football team coached by Les Hipple and was captain of the first baseball team fielded by MHS in 1964.

Upon graduation from high school, he attended Marshalltown Community College for two years and then transferred to Northeast Missouri State Teachers College in Kirksville, Mo. for 2 years. While in attendance at NEMO he met the love of his life, Katherene Countryman from Newton, Iowa. When asked how they met, he always responded that she was a pick-up, before explaining that he had stopped to assist her and her mother when they were driving back to Kirksville after a long weekend. Prior to graduation from NEMO, he received his draft notice and enlisted in the US Army in January 1968. He then spent the next 24 years as a soldier.

While attending advanced training at Fort Devens, Mass., he won the Vietnam lottery to determine who would be assigned to Nam and who would go to Germany. He went to Nam. He and Kathy were married while he was assigned to Ft. Devens. He completed other assignments as a recruiter in Indianapolis and Ames, Iowa. Jim then completed six years of duty in Augsburg Germany where he was promoted to 1SG and awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. He was then assigned as inspector to the Office of the Inspector General, 1st US Army, Fort Meade, Md. He graduated from the US Army Sergeant Majors Course at Ft. Bliss, Texas, was promoted to Sergeant Major and assigned to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., US Army Combat Developments Activity. Upon retirement from the Army, he worked for the Department of Veteran Affairs Memorial Programs Activity.

Jim is survived by his wife of 56 years, Kathy; his son, James Jr. and his wife, Teresa Spear; and daughter Amy and her husband Eric Shumaker; four grandsons, Cameron and Cael Spear and Brayden and Cole Shumaker; his oldest brother, Don; and younger sister, Nancy and their families from Illinois and Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his parents; older brother, Kenneth; and nephew, Jeff Spear.

A visitation will be from 8 to 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at the R.L. Leintz Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Leavenworth National Cemetery with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to your favorite charity.