Joseph W. "Jay" Shearer
Joseph W. “Jay” Shearer
Joseph W. “Jay” Shearer, age 84, a resident of Breckenridge, passed away on Sun., Feb. 12, 2023 at his residence. He was born the son of Erwin and Nora (Dayton) Shearer on April 22, 1938 in Chillicothe.
Jay was a 1956 graduate of Chillicothe High School. He then graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia, with a Master’s Degree in music. He married Donna Crain in Dec. of 1959 in Breckenridge. They moved to Kansas City, KS where he was a music teacher for many years, starting at West Junior High in Kansas City, KS, and soon after, was asked to start the music program at Kansas City, KS Community College. They moved to Breckenridge in 1970. He began teaching/directing music at Hamilton school, and Winston school, where he created the Pep Band and Marching Band. For over 40 years, Jay had his own band known as “Jay Shearer Combo”. Before even retiring from teaching, he began tuning and servicing pianos. He built up an index file of over 2000 pianos, and finally gave it up at the age of 78. He was an avid quail, turkey and deer hunter from the age of 12, when he bought his first gun until his last hunt two months ago at the age of 84.
He is survived by his wife, Donna and his two daughters, Sheila Crackenberger of Hale, and Sheri (Greg Kreutzer) Lowrey of Columbia; as well as six grandchildren, Katie Crackenberger, Darcy (Hassan) Mateyka, Dalton (Suzii) Crackenberger, Derrek Crackenberger, Jaci Lowrey, and Colton Lowrey; one great-grandson, Derrek “Little D” Crackenberger; and sister, Norma Cody of Moberly. He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Jeffrey Shearer; and brother, Darrell Shearer.
Funeral services will be held at Lindley Funeral Home in Chillicothe on Fri., Feb, 17, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. A visitation will be held at Lindley Funeral Home in Chillicothe on Fri., Feb. 17, 2023 from 12:00 p.m. until service time at 2:00 p.m. Burial will be held at Edgewood Cemetery in Chillicothe. Friends may call at Lindley Funeral Home in Chillicothe on Thurs., Feb. 16, 2023 from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Luke’s Hospice and may be left at or mailed to Lindley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 47, Chillicothe, Missouri. Online condolences may be made at www.lindleyfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of Lindley Funeral Home in Chillicothe, Missouri.
