Harold was born in Lowry City, MO to Fred and Mary (Carver) Wears on August 7, 1929. The youngest of five children, his family had deep roots in St. Clair County as his father was born in Mt. Zion and his mother in Roscoe. His grandfather, John Thomas Wears, was a Civil War veteran and lived in Lowry City when Harold was born.
Harold’s childhood was spent living in Lowry City, Osceola, on a farm near Vista, and in Kansas City, Kansas. He started first grade at Lowry City, then the family moved near Vista where he attended a one-room school called Long Ridge. He was promoted from the first grade to third grade as he was the only student in first grade. His sister Helen and brother John walked with him to school across two miles of woods and fields, carrying Harold’s books and lunch pail during snow and bad weather.
Harold’s family moved to Kansas City, Missouri in 1942, when his father worked at the Lake City Ordnance plant. Harold attended Northeast Junior High and Northeast Senior High for his sophomore and junior years. He worked various jobs — soda fountain operator, diaper delivery service, the KC Public Library, golf caddy, and picking up potatoes (that lasted only one day). He had a KC Star paper route before school, starting at 4:30 am each morning. At age 14 and 15 he worked at the Missouri State Grain Inspection Protein Laboratory where he worked seven days a week.
After the war, Harold’s family returned to Lowry City where he helped build a home on the south side of town and attended Lowry City High School when he felt like it (which was not every day). Despite his poor school attendance he graduated in 1946 and spent the summer helping remodel a house for his Aunt and Uncle LaRue in Lowry City.
At age 17, Harold returned to Kansas City and started working at Hallmark Cards. While visiting family in Lowry City on the weekends, Harold met Gloria on a Saturday night in 1949 at Fletcher’s Drug Store, where hamburgers were served and the juke box was playing Johnny Ray’s “Cry Me a River” and Les Paul and Mary Ford sang “How High the Moon”. After graduating from Lowry City High School, Gloria moved to Kansas City in 1950 and started her first job at United Films. Together they enjoyed lots of dates and getting to know each other — picnics, movies (especially drive-ins) and socializing with Lowry City friends.
Harold served as a U.S. Marine Corps reservist from 1946-1948, then entered the U.S. Navy in 1950 where he served until 1954 with aviation maintenance duties in Japan, Hawaii, Tennessee, and Jacksonville, Florida. Gloria left Kansas City by train in March 1952 and joined Harold in Jacksonville where they were married on March 26, 1952.
Harold and Gloria returned to Kansas City in 1954 where they resided for the next 34 years and raised their family. Harold returned to Hallmark but was unsatisfied with his job, so he joined BOP Fairfax (General Motors) as an aluminum heat treater — a skill he acquired in the Navy. When the Republic Thunderjet contract ended, Harold decided to not transfer to the auto production line so he joined the Kansas City Police Department on March 15, 1955. Over the next 25 years, he rose to the rank of Major and worked in a variety of assignments, including establishing the Police Department’s first data processing center and Director of the Regional Police Training Academy.
During Harolds employment with the Kansas City Police Department he earned a Bachelors Degree of Arts and Sociology from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Soon after he received his Masters Degree in Science from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri. In 1974 he attended a semester at the University of Kentucky Louisville the Southern Police Institute and earned a certificate in Police Science and Administration. In his completion he was made a Honorary Colonel of the state of Kentucky.
Harold joined Eastwood Hills Baptist Church in 1961, was baptized and served as Trustee, Teacher, Treasurer and Deacon for the next 33 years. Following retirement from the Police Department in 1980, Harold bought a bicycle business in Raytown, selling more than 600 bicycles in 13 months. Harold and Gloria became avid bicyclists and participated in many interesting and exciting tours with the Kansas City Bicycle Club. Harold sold the bicycle shop and started working at the Missouri Department of Mental Health in 1981 as Data Processing Coordinator where he remained until 1986.
In retirement, Harold and Gloria traveled extensively, spending significant time with their children Tom and wife Millie and Anne and husband John, as well as their 3 young grandchildren. They enjoyed spending winters in the desert southwest in Yuma, Arizona.
In 1989 they moved to Lowry City where they lived since. Harold and Gloria joined First Baptist Church –Lowry City in 1993 where Harold served in various positions. Through the years he served as Treasurer, Finance Committee Chairman, Building and Grounds Chairman, and in 1989 on the Pastor Search Committee calling Paster Jeff Ferguson. Harold spent meany rewarding hours working on the fellowship addition– expanding the pre-school department and other building projects. They participated in several Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief and Mission trips with the church.
Harold and Gloria were also active in the Lowry City Community Betterment and community garden.
Harold is survived by wife Gloria, married for 73 years, son Tom Wears (Millie), daughter Anne Mulvihill (John), three grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, 1 brother-in-law, 7 sisters-in-law, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Harold was predeceased by parents Fred and Mary Wears, brothers Leo Glenn and John, and sisters Doris Colley and Helen Juchet.
Harold will be lovingly remembered as a dedicated family man, a hard worker, ingenious, technology first-adapter, funny and selfless giver of time and talents, serving his family, his church, and his community.