Deanna Lynne Spear, 60, of Reinbeck, passed away on Saturday, March 12, 2016 at Parkview Manor in Reinbeck. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. at Salem Church of Lincoln in Lincoln, Iowa. Burial will be held at 1:00 P.M. following the service at Reinbeck Cemetery in Reinbeck. Visitation will be on Friday, March 18, 2016 from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at the Salem Church of Lincoln. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Gladbrook Reinbeck Booster Club or the Salem Church of Lincoln.
Deanna was born March 26, 1955 to Sheridan and Mary Lou (Becker) Downey in Grundy Center, Iowa. She graduated from Reinbeck High School. On July 12, 1975 Deanna was united in marriage to James Lyle Spear, Jr. in Lincoln, Iowa.
She worked as a bus driver for the Gladbrook Reinbeck school system. She loved children and was known as Mom to everyone. Deanna's greatest love was for her grandchildren.
Deanna was a member of the Salem Church of Lincoln. She was also a member of the Women of today club, the Gladbrook Reinbeck athletic Booster Club, and the Center Theatre club.
She was a collector of collections, which included Beanie Babies, State spoons/coins, John Deere plates, and Avon. Deanna enjoyed the QVC channel. She loved sports from wrestling to soccer and could be heard cheering for her local team G-R Rebels, Iowa Hawkeyes, or the UNI Panthers.
Those left to cherish her memory are he husband, James: sons, Jeremy (Jennifer) Spear, and Joshua Spear all of Reinbeck; daughter, Jennifer Spear of Reinbeck; her mother, Mary Lou; step-son, James (Nancy) Spear, III of Lake Zurich, Illinois; step-daughters, Kim (Lincoln) Davis of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and Kathy (Ross) Witt of Waterloo; grandchildren, Jadon Spear, Jeryn Spear, Breyton Voshell, William Voshell, Cathryne Spear, Daniel Spear, Margueret Spear, Ashley (Ryan) Reeves, Shelby (Zach) Davis, Ben Brumbaugh, Chantel Witt, and Bryce Witt; great-grandchildren, Grayson, Charlotte, Gabe, and Roycen; sisters, Pam (Doug) Davis and Jana (Mark) Bystricky all of Reinbeck; brother, Daryl (Karla) Downey of Reinbeck; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her father, Sheridan; grandparents, Wayne and Henrietta Downey, and Louis and Estella Becker; and father and mother-in-law, James and Margaret Spear, Sr.