Mr. Leslie James Shear of Streamwood

Leslie "Les" Shear, 83, of Streamwood, Illinois.. Leslie Shear, Loving husband of Annie Marie Shear, nee Davis; devoted father of Laura (Brian) Urbaszewski and the late Helen Marie (Guy) Bartlett; cherished grandfather of Julian and Lucia; beloved brother of the late Catherine (the late Bill) Craw, the late Joan (Paul) Johnson and the late Dr. John (Sandy) Shear. Leslie was born and grew up in North Argyle, New York on a small dairy farm. After completing high school he served our country as an Air Force radar technician on the Gulf Coast and in North Carolina. While in North Carolina he met the love of his life, Marie. They were married on July 9, 1966 and moved back to New York. After leaving the service, Leslie completed his college degree in English Language and Literature while working as a factory maintenance technician and raising a family in North Argyle. In 1974, he felt a spiritual call to ministry in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and moved with his family to attend University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Iowa. He completed Master’s Degrees at University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and at Aquinas Institute of Theology, and was ordained a minister of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1977. As a pastor he served several congregations at churches in Ohio, Illinois, Kansas, and Pennsylvania. In 1984 he was recognized for his work as a Christian Educator for the Huntington Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Pennsylvania. In this role he travelled to many churches, training Sunday school teachers and pastors in christian education. As a pastor, he performed countless baptisms, weddings, and funerals and wrote thousands of sermons. He created and ran after-school and Sunday school programs for children and teens. In Tennessee he was called to be pastor at Rocky Springs Presbyterian Church in Sevierville, and he formed a special bond with that church community. Later in life, after he and Marie settled in Knoxville, Tennessee, he transitioned from church pastor to chaplain, and served as a chaplain for Shannondale Senior Living Community. As a chaplain, he was well loved for his kindness, humor, and ability to connect with people. Marie and Les enjoyed 59 years of happy marriage and many adventures together. He was a loving and committed husband and father to his two daughters. His family has happy memories of him telling stories, building things like a treehouse and sandbox for his children, and playing games like the big kid he always claimed to be. They also remember visits with relatives and Summer family camping trips around the US. After retirement he enjoyed travelling and was able to take trips with Marie to Iceland, Holland, Scotland, and other destinations. He always enjoyed meeting people and talking with folks wherever he went. Leslie loved reading, music, western books and movies, “dad jokes” and travel. His creativity was never ending and his creative endeavors included creating puppet and clowning ministries, teaching himself to play guitar, songwriting, and poetry. He was deeply devoted to his family and to serving the Lord. He spent much time in bible study and reflection and his faith in Jesus Christ was the guiding light of his life. His kindness and sincerity as well as his goofy sense of humor will be missed by all. Those who knew him will always remember his resilience in hard times, his commitment to service, his kindness, and his love. A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2026 from 10:30 A.M. to time of service at 12:30 P.M. at Morizzo Funeral Home, 2550 Hassell Rd., Hoffman Estates, Illinois, 60169. In lieu of flowers donations made to Feeding America or Working Against Violence for Everyone would be greatly appreciated. The family has created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories, photos, and videos. For those of you that would have attended services and would like to express your condolences please click on the "Share A Memory" link above and you can leave a message. If you wish to send a Sympathy Card, please feel free to send it to Morizzo Funeral Home, 2550 Hassell Road, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, 60169 c/o the Family; we will gladly forward it on to the family. For further information please contact the Morizzo Funeral Directors at 847.752.6444. Arrangements entrusted to Morizzo Funeral Home, Cremation Services and Cemetery Memorials, at 2550 West Hassell Road, (Northeast corner at Barrington Road), Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60169. Morizzo Memorials and Monuments]

Mr. Leslie James Shear of Streamwood

January 11, 1943 - January 29, 2026