Page 76 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2018- Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS

Roy Mears,

Exceptional Individual, Extraordinary Father

BY THE MEARS CHILDREN

ideas or pass along books and CDs to ensure that we all
benefit from his learning, too. He is a seeker of wisdom
and imparts valuable guidance to our lives through his
pursuit.
It has been inspiring to watch Dad keep his own dreams
alive, regardless of how many candles are on his cake
each year. He has stayed young at heart—boldly joining
in adventure when he can. Running a half marathon
and climbing 10,000-foot mountains in Colorado with
his sons are among them, and there are more yet to
come!

The real secret to Dad’s life is that he values and reveres
knowing God above everything else. And he lives this
out every day. His thirst for more of God’s kingdom
affects everything he does and spills over onto everyone
How in the world can you take nine well-loved kids and he meets. As an earthly father, he has introduced us to
condense their words of honor and regard for their Dad the unconditional love of a Heavenly Father. We are so
into just one article? As Roy Mears would say, “The honored to have Roy Mears as our father! We love you,
difficult we do immediately!” For a man to have nine Dad!!
kids is amazing, but for a man to have nine kids and
have a good relationship with them all—for each one
to truly know in their hearts that “my Dad loves me” is
phenomenal! It is a testament to his authentic faith and From Harold Humphries
to the great hope that anchors his own life. He has often
said, “God has a unique destiny for each one of my kids. Roy’s longtime friend and mentor had this to say:
My job as a parent is to help them find that destiny.”
And he has spent the last five decades doing just that. “Roy Mears was instrumental in our starting a college Bible
. . and continues (along with our wonderful Mom and study in our home, and he attended faithfully for years. I
his wife of 43 years!) to speak purpose into our lives as never knew him when he didn’t love to study the Bible. We’ve
adults, and now into our children’s lives.
Dad is a man of constant joy, and this plays out in
everyday interactions with him—in the hugs, the cheery
“Hello, Sunshine!” greetings, the excited voice telling
how proud he is of his sons and daughters. He is
always overjoyed to see his kids and grandkids. He is
one of the most enthusiastic people you will ever meet,
exuding encouragement and positivity. His sense of
humor has often lightened heavy situations. Recently,
when he needed to have colon revision surgery to
remove a tumor, he responded jokingly how truly glad
he was that now his literary career would be punctuated
by his expert use of the semi-colon!
Dad is a man who applies grace for people’s
imperfections and mistakes. He is humble enough to
admit his own mistakes; as he often says, he made every
mistake twice to make sure he got it right. He may have
never made it to the cover of Forbes, but he invested in
the things in life that matter the most.
A man who loves learning, Dad pours through books
with a highlighter and a pen, always gleaning new
insights and ideas, and he is so excited to share these

76 Lubbock Senior Link