Joseph W. “Jay” Shearer, age 84, a resident of Breckenridge, Missouri, passed away on Sunday, February 12, 2023, at his residence.
He was born the son of Erwin and Nora (Dayton) Shearer on April 22, 1938, in Chillicothe, Missouri.
Jay was a 1956 graduate of Chillicothe High School. He then graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, with a Master’s Degree in music. He married Donna Crain in December of 1959 in Breckenridge, Missouri. They moved to Kansas City, Kansas where he was a music teacher for many years, starting at West Junior High, Kansas City, Kansas, and soon after, was asked to start the music program at Kansas City Kansas Community College. They moved to Breckenridge, Missouri 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; two daughters, Sheila Crackenberger of Hale, Missouri, and Sheri (Greg Kreutzer) Lowrey of Columbia, Missouri; 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, Missouri. He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Jeffrey Shearer; and his brother, Darrell Shearer.
Funeral services will be held at Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri on Friday, February 17, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. A visitation will be held at Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri on Friday, February 17, 2023, from noon until service time at 2:00 p.m. Friends may call at Lindley Funeral Home, Chillicothe, Missouri on Thursday, February 16, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Burial will be held at Edgewood Cemetery, Chillicothe, Missouri.
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.
