SPEARS, George Houston

The Payson Roundup, Payson, Arizona, Tuesday, December 30, 2014 George Houston Spears, age 87, of Payson, Ariz., passed away in Mesa on Dec. 24, 2014. He was born in Bisbee, Ariz., grew up in Winslow and San Diego, and attended Arizona State University. While at ASU he met his future wife, Fern Taylor, and they were married in Mesa. George spent his career teaching English in the Valley, the majority of this time at South Mountain and Camelback High Schools. He was a gifted, passionate teacher, a lover of language, and a storyteller with a great sense of humor. After retirement, George and Fern moved to Payson and began traveling extensively. George also used his time and talents to volunteer in Payson with the Lions Club, Habitat for Humanity and the Rim Country Museum. He is survived by his wife, Fern; his two daughters, Alice (Karl) and Margaret (Dwight); 4 grandchildren; and 4 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 17 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1000 N. Easy Street, Payson, Ariz. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Rim Country Museum, P.O. Box 2532, Payson, AZ 85547 or to the Lions’ Camp Tatiyee at www.arizona lionscamp.org. The family would like to thank all caregivers and staff at Rim Country Health, The Summit at Sunland Springs and the Hospice of the Valley for their expertise, kindness and compassion.