Jeremy Spears

JEREMY ANDREW SPEARS WAS BORN ON AUGUST 14, 1993, TO HIS LOVING MOTHER, CHRIS SPEARS. WHILE HIS CHILDHOOD IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, WAS SHAPED BY THE CARE OF HIS DEVOTED GRANDPARENTS, ROSE AND MELVIN SPEARS SR., THE LOVING PRESENCE OF HIS MOTHER REMAINED A CONSTANT THROUGHOUT JEREMY’S LIFE.

JEREMY ATTENDED JOHN MUIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND STEVENS JUNIOR HIGH, AND HE GRADUATED FROM MILLIKAN HIGH SCHOOL IN 2011. JEREMY LATER PURSUED TRADE SCHOOL AT L.A. TECH, WHERE HE EARNED CERTIFICATION AS A WELDER AND TOOK PRIDE IN THE CRAFT.

FROM A YOUNG AGE, JEREMY WAS DRAWN TO THE THRILL AND FREEDOM OF SKATEBOARDING. BY THE AGE OF 12, HE HAD BECOME AN ACCOMPLISHED SKATER, SPENDING COUNTLESS HOURS AT EL DORADO STATE PARK AND OTHER SKATE PARKS THROUGHOUT LONG BEACH. THAT PASSION FOR SKATING EVOLVED INTO A LOVE OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY, AS JEREMY LEARNED TO CAPTURE FELLOW SKATERS’ ENERGY AND ARTISTRY ON FILM. FEW KNEW THAT JEREMY PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN HELPING TO DESIGN THE SKATE PARK AT SILVERADO PARK--A TESTAMENT TO HIS QUIET DEDICATION AND CREATIVE SPIRIT.

JEREMY NEVER SOUGHT RECOGNITION FOR HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS. HE SIMPLY DID WHAT HE LOVED AND LET HIS ACTIONS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. WHETHER BUILDING, SKATING, OR CREATING, JEREMY BROUGHT A QUIET BRILLIANCE TO EVERYTHING HE TOUCHED.

JEREMY MARRIED HIS HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART, LORGIA MORALES, “LOLA.” SHARED NEARLY A DECADE OF PARTNERSHIP AND, IN 2016, THEY WELCOMED CHERISHED SON JACE: THE LIGHT OF JEREMY’S LIFE. JEREMY FOUND DEEP JOY IN FATHERHOOD, TEACHING JACE TO PLAY BASKETBALL AND RELIVING THE WONDER OF CHILDHOOD THROUGH HIS SON’S EYES. NOW NINE YEARS OLD, JACE CARRIES FORWARD JEREMY’S LOVE OF THE GAME AND HIS ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT.

IN RECENT YEARS, JEREMY EMBRACED FITNESS AND WELLNESS, OFTEN WORKING OUT AT THE BEACH AND ENCOURAGING OTHERS. HE LOVED THE OUTDOORS AND FOUND PEACE IN NATURE, ESPECIALLY NEAR THE WATER. DESPITE FACING SIGNIFICANT HEALTH CHALLENGES, INCLUDING A SERIOUS HEAD INJURY AT AGE 18, JEREMY REMAINED RESILIENT. HE CARRIED AN ENDEARING SMILE, A QUIET STRENGTH, AND AN UNWAVERING BELIEF THAT HE COULD ACHIEVE ANYTHING HE SET HIS MIND TO.

JEREMY WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS BROTHER, JAMAR UPCHURCH, AND UNCLES CLAUDE WEBB AND MICHAEL TAYLOR. HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS MOTHER, CHRIS SPEARS; GODMOTHER FELICIA; WIFE, LOLA SPEARS; SON, JACE JEREMY SPEARS; GRANDPARENTS, ROSE AND MELVIN SPEARS SR.; UNCLES, TYRONE SPEARS AND MELVIN SPEARS JR. (JEUSELL); AUNTS, DARHLENE TAYLOR, MACHELL BROOKENS, AND TRACEY SPEARS; AND A HOST OF FIRST COUSINS AND THEIR FAMILIES: JENNIFER TAYLOR MILLIGAN (EVAN), BRYAN WEBB (ETOYA), KIMMBERLY TAYLOR (JULIAN), CHRISTOPHER SPEARS (COZETTE), BRANDEN WEBB, AND JARDIN SPEARS. HE ALSO LEAVES MANY OTHER RELATIVES AND FRIENDS WHO WILL FOREVER CHERISH HIS MEMORY.

JEREMY’S LIFE WAS A TAPESTRY OF CREATIVITY, PERSEVERANCE, AND LOVE. HE WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED AND FOREVER REMEMBERED.