John William Speer

1935 - 2018

John William Speer

John William Speer, age 83, passed away peacefully Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at Swanton Valley Health Center, after complications from primary progressive aphasia, a rare subgroup of dementia.

John was born in Toledo, Ohio on January 19, 1935 to Kenneth and Ann (Kolakowski) Speer. He grew up in North Toledo and attended Scott High School. In 1952 he joined the United States Marine Corps, attending boot camp in Parris Island, NC. After basic training he was deployed to Korea in "close air support" as a radio operator. He did not see any action. It was during this period that John was bitten by the photography bug. It was a lifelong hobby at which he became rather proficient, much to the consternation of his "captive progeny." After his tour in Korea, John was sent stateside to Miami, FL. He sent for and married his girlfriend, Marie Braddock in Hialeah, FL on June 22, 1954. He remained in the USMC for one more year, achieving the rank of Sergeant.

In 1955, John and his wife returned to Toledo, OH to begin raising their family. His first job was with Chevy, a job his cousin Earl Birr helped him get. After two months, he took a job at Libbey Owens Ford for better pay but was soon laid off. He was told the City of Toledo was giving the civil service test for the Toledo Police Department, he took the test and passed. John graduated from the Toledo Police Academy in November 1958. The new job, along with a small loan from his grandmother, allowed him to buy his first home at 123 E. Park St. John was the father to three daughters by this time. Two boys would be added to that number by 1963.

John enjoyed hunting, fishing, baseball, bowling, reading and especially chess. It was during this period that John got into remodeling and construction. His parents offered to buy him an electric saw if he would build them an enclosed back porch, which he did for them at two different homes. This was the beginning of his love for types of wood forming.

John had begun taking classes at the University of Toledo in 1956 in Engineering. After his hiring to the police department he switched majors to criminal justice. He would eventually graduate with an Associates Degree in Security Administration in 1971.

1966 brought a new marriage for John to Priscilla Goodleman and a new home in Sylvania to accommodate a family of seven. John was promoted to Sergeant in 1967 and later assigned to the detective bureau in Burglary and Robbery. After passing the test for Lieutenant, John was quickly running out of advancement options. So, in 1971 he left the department and accepted an offer from SOHIO as a criminal investigator in credit card fraud. This came with a move to Southfield, MI and later to the Cleveland, Ohio area when he accepted a job with Addressograph-Multigraph as their Corporate Security Manager in 1973.

On Jan. 1, 1978 John married Betsy Schweitzer. They purchased a home on the shores of Lake Erie in Euclid, Ohio. Shortly before their marriage John once again accepted a new job position in June of 1977 with The Premier Industrial Corporation in Cleveland as their Corporate Director of Security. This job would take John all over the world too many times to count. Two more children (boys) were added to the ever-growing Speer family.

John's two real loves were woodworking and chess, a game he rarely lost. John built a wing and did extensive remodeling to his vacation home in Rock Creek, Ohio on Roaming Shores and to his home in Euclid, OH. Every room had tongue and groove oak and pine added to the walls, floor and cathedral ceiling. John shaped the tongue and groove on each board. To the home in Rome, OH he also added a mammoth deck and gazebo which sat 20 feet off the ground over the side of a steep hill. Later he added a boat house. The family room was his pride and joy. It was patterned after one of his mother's quilts called, "tumbling blocks." He cut, planned and laid each piece by hand. Over the years he also crafted fine woodworking and hundreds of nightsticks, bird houses, planters, clocks and whirly-gigs. An endeavor represented in almost every family members home.

John had boundless energy and rarely sat idle. He loved to garden and took special pride in his roses.

John had a horrible sense of humor. His humor relied on, "puns," but we called them, "groaners." He thought they were hilarious. We couldn't help but laugh because they were so bad. Such as the three carved elephants on his mantle. He told us the 1st elephant was named, "Gerald," as was the second and third. Yes, they were the, "Elephants Gerald"... (Ella Fitzgerald). Yes, we know!

In 2001, John married the love of his life, Madeline Aiken. They remained in the Rock Creek, Ohio area until the winters became too brutal for the aging couple.

John had retired from Premier but remained a consultant until 2009. John and Madeline relocated to Lee County, FL and became snowbirds, also maintaining a home in Sylvania, Ohio near the children and grandchildren. John and Madeline were members of the Lee County Shuffleboard Association. Always competitive, John took 1st place in several tournaments both in individual class and team class. John also remained a member of the F.O.P. Lodge #40 for the remainder of his life.

John was preceded in death by his father, Kenneth Speer in 1969; mother, Ann Speer in 2009; son, John K. Speer in 1982; sister, Janice Speer in 1937; brother, Ronald King in 1974 and sister, Joan Braddock in 2014.

Surviving are his children, Julie (Gary) Belcher of Swanton, OH, Peggy (Larry) Edwards of Kilgore, TX, James (Sarah) Speer of Swanton, OH, Mathew Speer of Lorain, OH and Mark Speer of Columbus, OH; grandchildren, Bobbie Wright, Brandi Klawitter, David Born, Heather Riccardo, Zandra Seibert, Autumn Ferguson, Justin Speer, Amber Barlowe, Jayme Czerniakowski, Michael Anaszewicz, Jillian and Hannah Speer; nieces and nephews, Lynne Gramlich, Lee Braddock, Lori Viola, Leslie Braddock and Lissa Braddock and 15 great-grandchildren.

The family will receive guests on Monday, January 29, 2018 from 2-8:00 p.m. at Newcomer Funeral Home - Northwest Chapel, 4150 W. Laskey Rd. (419-473-0300). Services will start in the funeral home on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow in Ottawa Hills Memorial Park.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks for the tireless care and attention given to our father by the wonderful staff in Memory Care at Swanton Valley Center. Also, they'd like to thank the staff of Hospice of Northwest Ohio for their kindness and indispensable care during our father's last days.

To leave a special message for John's family please visit,

www.NewcomerToledo.com



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