Elton Spears

Loyd Elton Spears passed from this world peacefully in Tulsa, Oklahoma on January 24, 2025, after battling for months with heart disease and COPD. He was born on March 27, 1936, in Blackburn, Oklahoma to Lonnie Cleo Spears and Clara Lucena (Mynear) Spears. Elton spent his early years in Blackburn before the family moved to Pawnee in 1950. At the age of 9 Elton received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior and was baptized at the Blackburn Baptist Church. In 1961 he became a member of Pawnee First Baptist Church and attended there until his passing. He received his education at Blackburn School and Pawnee High School. He married Betty Jean (Romine) Spears on July12, 1957. The couple made Pawnee their lifelong home. In April of 1959 their first child was born, Monte. 5 years later, February 1964, the family would be made complete with the arrival of their daughter Lori. Elton worked at the Pool Hall in Pawnee when he was young and spent some time on a tractor as well. He then went to work in the oilfield as a roughneck then driller. To spend more time at home with his family he left the oil patch in 1964 and took on a job for the City of Pawnee running the Sanitation Department. In 1969 he made one more career change. He was appointed as the Executive Director of the City of Pawnee Housing Authority. Elton managed the project from its very beginning. He oversaw the purchase of the property and the construction of the duplex housing units. Going to work every day was no problem for him. He truly loved his job. Pride was taken in keeping the project in good condition. Elton became very fond of the elderly tenants who he voluntarily ran errands for and gave them a ride if needed. Elton was a “people person” and never met a stranger. He held the position as Executive Director for 45 years, until retirement. During his time at the Housing Authority, he was honored twice with the NAHRO Member of the Year Award for the State of Oklahoma. It was awarded to him in 1988 and again in 1998. Elton was also very active in his community. He was a member of the Lions Club (50 years), the Pawnee Municipal Hospital Board, the Pawnee Chamber of Commerce and coached little league baseball. Throughout all his years he could be found daily with "The Boys” at coffee time, morning and afternoon. The location of this daily gathering of “scholars” changed several times over the years but the lively conversation never changed. Elton and Betty enjoyed traveling across the U.S. where his employment took him to various meetings and conventions. He was also a very proud “Papaw” and loved keeping up with the grandchildren's sporting, church and other activities. In 2019 Elton lost the love of his life, Betty, to leukemia. They were by each other's side for over 62 years. Then in 2021 his daughter, Lori, tragically left this world way too soon. In March of 2022 Elton reconnected with a longtime acquaintance, Polly (Walker) Hodges. She and Elton had grown up together in Pawnee and had many mutual friends. They enjoyed traveling, eating out, going to church, hosting and visiting family and watching football together. God had brought them together to share their love and lives with each other. Elton’s last words were “It was all good, wasn’t it.”. 

Surviving is his son, Monte Spears (Renee) Ponca City; grandchildren April Allen, Ponca City; Amber Parnell (Jason) Newkirk; Nick Spears (Anna) Ponca City; and Zach Spears, Ponca City; Darren Ginn (Jennifer) Victor, Montana; eight great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sisters, Cleta (Kirkpatrick) Collyer, Ponca City; 

Linda Morris, Wake Village, Texas and his sister-in-law Jane Adams, Riverside, Texas. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Betty, daughter Lori, brother Leslie Spears, sister Sylvia Rosenthal, and great-aunt and uncle Velma and Gene LeMonnier. 

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on February 8, 2025, at 11:00 am at the First Baptist Church in Pawnee, Oklahoma with Pastor John Coker officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to First Baptist Church of Pawnee or the charity of your choice.

 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 NIV