Obituary of Richard D. “Dick” Spiers

Richard D. “Dick” Spiers, passed away on June 6, 2020, in a local hospital. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM, Wednesday, June 10, 2020, in The Chapel at Griffin~Hillcrest with The Reverend Rick Baggett officiating. Interment to follow in Hillcrest Memorial Park. Dick was born on August 15, 1936 in Longview, TX to Robert A. and Lorena B. (Hughes) Spiers. He was raised in Kermit, TX and as a young man he professed his faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized at the First Baptist Church. Dick graduated from Kermit High in 1954 and went on to play tennis on full scholarship at Texas Tech University. He maintained a love for the game of tennis throughout his life and dedicated many hours to support the sport. Dick graduated from Texas Tech with a Bachelors in Business Administration majoring in Retailing in 1959 and went on to serve in the Texas National Guard and was on active duty that same year. After completing his active duty, he went into the management program of JCPenney in Odessa, TX. Dick and Marlene McClung were married in Tulsa in 1975 and moved to Ardmore in 1978. Dick retired from the JCPenney Company after working in six stores and 28 years of service in Texas and Oklahoma with the last being at Mountainview Mall in Ardmore. In 1984, at the age of 47, Dick had a massive heart attack while playing tennis in a Missouri Valley tournament in Northeastern Oklahoma. This resulted in his being paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life. Despite his disabilities, Dick remained very active in the Ardmore community and made many friends. He was a member of the Ardmore Rotary Club since 1978 serving on their board. Dick also served as President of the Ardmore Parks and Recreation Board, President of the Board of Sunshine Industries and was on the Board of the YMCA. Dick was the Director of the Ardmore Tennis Association for many years and Chairman of the Annual Rotary Tennis Tournament. He was instrumental in raising funds to build new tennis courts at Ardmore High School and was honored when they named the courts the Dick Spiers Tennis Complex. In 2001 he was inducted into the Oklahoma Tennis Hall of Fame and later inaugurated into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. Survivors include his wife Marlene, his daughter, Terri and Len Murray and three grandchildren; Kaylyn, Kendall and Matthew of Plano, TX., his son, Bryan and Jennifer Spiers and two grandchildren, Lindsey and Isaac of Edmond, Okla., one brother, Robert and Annette Spiers of Kingsland, TX. Serving as Pallbearers will be; Matthew Murray, Isaac Spiers, Tracy Spiers, Kirk Spiers, Kenneth Walker, and Keith King. Honorary Pallbearers will be Dr. Brent Holland, Dr. Jerry Gallas, Tom Groeschel and Kent Tucker. Visitation will be held from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm, Tuesday evening, June 9, 2020, at Griffin~Hillcrest.