Alex Spears

Alex Spears (1938-2025)

Vernon Alexander “Alex” Spears passed away peacefully on February 15, 2025, in Walterboro, SC with family members at his side. Born on February 19, 1937, in the Chesterfield, SC home of his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Eugene Stephenson, Alex was the eldest of five children of Vernon and Edna Spears of Columbia, SC. He grew up in Columbia where he attended Dreher High School and later graduated from the University of South Carolina on a Navel ROTC scholarship. He served as Executive Officer of the Gamecock Battalion while in the ROTC at Carolina and later served as communications officer on several Navy ships. Following military service, he earned a master’s in biomedical science from the University of Georgia and continued his medical career as Chief of Pharmacy at Anderson Memorial Hospital and later at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Savannah, Georgia. During Desert Storm he volunteered to serve in the pharmacy at Fort Jackson where he later retired as a lieutenant colonel.

Earlier in life Alex enjoyed hunting and fishing on his grandfather’s farms in Chesterfield and both he and his grandfather rode in the Chesterfield County Horse Shows. They did well with their favorite horse, Midnight Star. After retirement, he enjoyed his roses, Welsh Corgis and most of all his grandkids. 

He is survived by his daughters, Laura Spears Knobloch (John) of Mt. Pleasant, SC and Libby Spears of New York, NY, and his cherished grandchildren, John and Julia Knobloch, his former wife, Nelda Fowler of Florence, SC as well as siblings Ed Spears (Jackie), of Charlotte, NC, Mike Spears (Eileen), of Mt. Pleasant, SC and Anne Spears Walsh of Columbia, their children and grandchildren. A private family service will be held in Alex’s honor in Chesterfield.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Southeast Corgi Rescue (www.southeastcorgirescue.com).