1914 – 2003

WEST AUBURN – Frederick William Hamman Spear, 89, of West Auburn, died Thursday, Oct. 2, after a lingering illness. He had been a resident of Clover Manor Health Care Center in Auburn since July 1.

He was born in Boston, Mass., May 8, 1914, the only child of Frederick William and Nellie (Gould) Spear. He spent his early years in Somerville, Mass. before the family moved to Auburn in 1925.

He attended the West Auburn School, Webster Grammar School and Edward Little High School, graduating in 1932.

After a post graduate year at Edward Little, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and was stationed in Bar Harbor and Ford Williams in South Portland.

After his stint with the CCC, he went to work for the Auburn Die Co., where he became a welder. On June 23, 1935, he married Ingrid Caroline Nyberg.

They enjoyed over 54 years of marriage until her death on Oct. 1, 1989.

In the early years of their marriage they lived in West Auburn in a home he helped build for his grandmother in 1930.

Their two daughters were born during that time. In 1941, the family moved to Boston, Mass., and he went to work for the United States Department of the Army at the Watertown Arsenal.

In 1942 the family moved to Natick, Mass., where they spent almost 30 years.

He remained at the arsenal until after the end of World War II.

In 1947 he became district sales manager for Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. of Appleton, Wis.

He covered New England and New York State selling welding equipment. In 1971, he and Ingrid sold their Natick home and returned to their beloved West Auburn. He retired from Miller Electric in 1976.

He and Ingrid enjoyed traveling very much and toured much of the United States, Canada and Europe.

They also enjoyed cruising to Bermuda, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. After Ingrid’s death, he continued to travel extensively, having taken his last trip this past April, when he and his daughter, June, spent 10 days in Naples, Fla.

He also enjoyed skippering his own boats, Loreleis I, II, III and IV.

Many voyages were made along the Massachusetts coast, including Cape Cod and the islands as well as cruises to New Hampshire and Maine.

He was commodore of the Lake Cochituate Boat Club in Natick, Mass. and for many years was a member and fleet captain of the Charlesgate Yacht Club in Cambridge, Mass.

He was a member of the Commodores’ Club of America.

In 1947 he became a member of Meridian Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons in Natick and later transferred his membership to Tranquil Lodge 29 in Auburn. He was a member of the Scottish Rite Bodies, the Kora Shrine, where he was a member of the Chanters for many years and was a member and past worthy patron of Pine Cone Chapter 26, Order of the Eastern Star. He was also a past president of the Square and Compass Club.

He was a long time member of Fairlawn Country Club in Poland, a member and past president of First Auburn Senior Citizens and a charter member of the West Auburn School Historical Society. He was a member of the West Auburn Congregational Church, where he served for many years as a deacon. He enjoyed his membership in the church and appreciated the love and support he received from Rev. John Ellis, his wife, Karen and all members of the church family.

He is survived by his daughter, June of West Auburn, with whom he made his home for the past few years; his daughter, Anne and son-in-law, Dr. Julius T. Ceplikas of Auburn; five granddaughters, Janice Schneider and her husband, Barton of Franklin, Tenn., Jocelyn Healey and good friend, Gene Berube of Lisbon, Joyce Whitney and husband, John of Ashland, N.H., Marilyn Lugner and husband, Peter of Winthrop and Nina McNeil and husband, Dan of Owings, Md.; a grandson, Kenneth Healey and wife, Barbara of Danielson, Conn.; 10 great-grandchildren, Miranda, Jared and Justin Schneider of Franklin, Tenn., Ted, Dennis and Kendra Levesque (Whitney) of Ashland, N.H., Lance Corporal Shane Healey, USMC of Monterey, Calif., Shawn Healey of Danielson, Conn., and Joshua and Samantha McNeil of Owings, Md.; his adored cats, Misty and Kabey. Further; a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Eva and Rupert Conroy of Auburn; a sister-in-law, Theda Nyberg of Mechanic Falls; many nieces and nephews; his cousin, Desmond Benstead and wife, Lynne; along with several other cousins in England and a special friend, Rosaline Jones of Epping, N.H.

In addition to his wife, he was predeceased by a great-granddaughter, Kimberly Ingrid Schneider in 1991.

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