William Gene Mears

William Gene Mears, age 78, resident of Arlington and husband of Beatrice Manuel Mears, died Tuesday morning, August 22, 2017 at the Methodist LeBonheur Germantown Hospital.

Services of Remembrance for Mr. Mears were conducted at 2 P.M. Friday, August 25, 2017 at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland with Bro. Eddie Champion officiating. Interment followed in the Memphis Memory Gardens Cemetery on Germantown Road in Bartlett. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes & Cremation Center – West Chapel at Oakland.

Mr. Mears was born October 10, 1938 in Paragould, Arkansas. He was married October 4, 1958 to Beatrice Manuel. He was employed as a truck driver for Yellow Freight (now YRC Freight) for many years before his retirement and was a member of the Local 667 Teamsters Union. Mr. Mears was a member of Easthill Baptist Church in Bartlett and will be remembered as a “wheeler and dealer”. He enjoyed restoring old cars.

Mr. Mears is survived by his wife of 58 years, Beatrice Mears of Arlington, TN; four daughters, Sherry Batten (Jeb) of Eads, TN, Linda Lovell (Mark) of Eads, TN, Gayla Hobbs (Dale) of Lakeland, TN, Jennifer Harvey (Steve) of Munford, TN; his son, Robert Mears of Bartlett, TN; two sisters, Alline “Sue” Thomason (Jackie) of Paragould, AR, Barbara Davis of Fayetteville, AR; his brother, Orlan Mears of Jonesboro, AR; 16 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Wesley Mears and Melvina McFarland Mears.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers were Chad Warren, Ryan Warren, Landon Mears, David Parrish, Hunter Meyer, Joshua Lovell, Chance Harvey and Scout Batten.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the American Diabetes Association, 5587 Murray Road, Suite 105, Memphis, TN 38119.