Anthony Joseph Spear

Anthony "Tony" Joseph Spear passed away peacefully in La Jolla, CA on Monday, June 3, 2024, at the age of 87. He is predeceased by his parents, Joseph Spear and Mary Ann Spear. Tony is lovingly remembered by his daughter, Maria Toglia of Newtown Square, PA; daughter, Kristen D' Alessio of Los Angeles, CA; sister, Joanne Oliver of Melbourne, FL; sister, Kathy Foucault of Westminster, SC; sister Helen Seja of Casa Grande, AR; sister, Mary Jones of Columbus, OH; grandchildren, Gianna Toglia, Alexander Toglia, Nicholas D' Alessio and Leonardo D' Alessio; first wife and life long friend, Elizabeth Phelps of La Jolla, CA; and his nieces and nephews. Tony was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio on June 8, 1936. After graduating high school, he spent four years in the Airforce as a jet aircraft radio repairman. Following his discharge in 1958, Tony attended Carnegie Mellon University, graduating in 1962 with a B.S. in electrical engineering. He then went to work at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, while simultaneously earning his master's degree in engineering from UCLA. He later went on to earn a second master's degree in the Executive Engineering program at USC. Tony held a wide range of positions at JPL, including serving on the design teams for NASA's Mariner and Viking program missions, managing the development and implementation of microwave instruments for the NASA SEASAT mission, and working on the Magellan probe mission. At the pinnacle of his career, Tony served as the project manager for the Mars Pathfinder mission. He was considered a maverick leader, and implemented NASA's "faster, better, cheaper" mission imperative, resulting in the successful landing of the Pathfinder shuttle and Sojourner rover. NASA Administrator, Daniel S. Goldin, described Tony as a "legendary project manager at JPL and helped make Mars Pathfinder the riveting success that it was." Tony retired from JPL in 1998 and went on to consult widely with both business and world leaders. He was an avid gardener, enjoyed skiing and playing golf, and loved adventurous travel, including mountain climbing in Nepal and many trips to Brazil where he was enthralled by the culture and the people. Tony was a character, full of passion, compassion for others, and willing to take chances to succeed. He was dearly loved and will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and colleagues.