Everett Wayne Speas

Everett Wayne Speas passed away on January 26, 2026. Visitation will be Monday, February 2, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Waco Memorial Funeral Home. His service will be Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at 1:00 pm at the funeral home with Pastor Wayne Williams officiating. Interment will follow at Waco Memorial Park.

Everett was born to Walter & Esther Speas at home in Cazenovia, Illinois on January 9,1937. Everett was the second child and first-born son of their four children.

After graduating high school in 1955 he joined the Navy and served as an Airborne Early Warning Typhoon Tracker. He served in the Hawaiian Islands, Guam and Okinawa.

After being discharged from the Navy in 1959 he worked for Kalona Motor Company

In February 1960 he met the love of his life in Swisher, Iowa at a dance hall. The only problem was at the end of the night he couldn’t remember her name. A friend told him it was Karen and he went to Westchester to find her. He and Karen dated three months and Karen asked “Why don’t we get married? Everett responded, “If you can live on my paycheck”. They were married June 24, 1960.

The couple moved to Waco in 1967 and Everett worked for Gulf State Paper Company for five years. In March 1972 he began working for Central Freight Lines where he eventually retired after 30 years of dedicated service. Six weeks later he started working at Waco Streak.

Everett and Karen attended Cogdell Memorial United Methodist Church for more than fifty years. He was a Lay Speaker at White Settlement and Perry, Texas for two years, then became a partner at Renew Church.

Everett loved football and it didn’t matter if it was high school, college, or professional football. He was, however, a die-hard Dallas Cowboy’s fan. Everyone knew not to speak to him when they were playing.

Everett is survived by his daughters, Robin Gibson and her husband, Eddy, and Tammy Speas; his cherished grandchildren, Brandi, Jared, Tiffany, Jasmine, Brandon, and Elijah; numerous great-grandchildren, brother Ralph & Janet Speas, extended family, and friends who will forever hold his memory dear.

Everett was preceded in death by his parents Walter & Esther Speas; his beloved wife, Karen Speas; his grandson, Robert Charles "Tre" Taplin, III; and two of his siblings.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, www.stjude.org.