George A. Spear

Portsmouth, RI - George A. Spear, 81, of Portsmouth, RI, passed away Sunday, June 5, 2011 after a long illness in the Newport Hospital.He was the husband for 60 years of Barbara M. Keniston Spear. Born in Somerville, MA on February 11, 1930, he was the son of the late George A. and M. Elizabeth York Spear.After graduating from Franklin High School in Franklin New Hampshire in 1948, Mr. Spear entered the US Navy to serve our country aboard several Destroyer Escorts during the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War. His multiple duty stations included Great Lakes, Illinois, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Newport, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts. After 20 years, Mr. Spear retired from the Navy as a Senior Chief Fire Control Technician to start work at the Naval Undersea System Center in Newport, RI. For 25 years Mr. Spear worked as an Electronic Technician for Code 22 and 25 where he was part of the Fire Control System group for several classes of submarines. During his years in the Navy and working for the Department of Defense, Mr. Spear enjoyed fishing the Narragansett Bay and golfing at the local greens. Besides his wife he leaves his children, Patricia J. Spear Johnson of Portsmouth, Robert A. Spear and his wife Suzanne of Warren, RI. His grandchildren, Edward J. Johnson and his wife Tracey and children of Columbus, NE, Nicole A. DePaul and her husband Stephen and children of Honolulu, HI, Benjamin T. Spear of East Providence, RI, Gregory L. Johnson and son of Columbus, NE, Derek R. Johnson and his wife Tiffany and son of Springfield, MO, Keelyn A. Oliveira and her husband Jason of Warren, RI, and Brandon T. Spear of Warren, RI. Mr. Spear is also survived by his sisters, Ruth Tickey McCullough of Kissemmee, FL, Jean L. Cameron of Hacketstown, NJ and Nancy S. Usher of Danvers, MA and several nieces and nephews.Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, June 8, 2011, from 4-7pm in the Connors Funeral Home, 55 West Main Road, Portsmouth, RI.His funeral will be held on Thursday, June 9, at 9:00 am from the Connors Funeral Home, 55 West Main Road, Portsmouth, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am in St. Barnabas Church, 1697 East Main Road, Portsmouth. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the Choroideremia Research Foundation, 23 East Brundreth Street, Springfield, MA 01109-2110.