Beaver Township road superintendent says goodbye after 30 years

March 27, 2013 at 12:02a.m.

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

Beaver Township just might have one of the few people in the area who enjoy plowing snow.

After 32 years with the township, however, road superintendent John Stear will say goodbye to the plows and all the township employees he’s worked with through the years.

“I will miss this place,” Stear said. “Working here has been my life, and I can’t say enough about the place.”

Stear’s last day will be Friday, and one of the things he said he will miss most is talking with people in his supervisor position.

“As more years went by, there was more work to do. People pay ‘x’ amount of taxes, they expect ‘x’ amount of work,” he said.

Those who appointed and worked with Stear said he was a dedicated worker who strove to make the people of the township happy.

“He had pride in his work; he had pride in his community,” said Scott Conway, parks administrator.

Since he started as a road- department operator in 1981, Stear has watched the town go from a population of 2,000 to 6,000 and seen about 18 miles of road in the township become 37 miles. Even the task of getting grant funding has grown. Applying for road money was one of the biggest challenges Stear faced as road superintendent.

“The applications used to be one page; now they’re about 45 pages long,” Stear said.

But working the roads and being outside were what he loved to do, he said, and he answered to more than just township administrators.

“All of these people [residents] are our boss, not just the trustees,” Stear said.

Stear also said goodbye to his position as a member of the Beaver Township Volunteer Fire Department, where he was a member for 27 years.

Now that his responsibilities with the township are ending, Stear said it’s time to “catch up at home” with his wife, Char, and visit with his married son and three grandchildren in New Waterford.

His biggest goal, though, is to continue traveling.

With 28 states down, John and Char Stear plan to head out with the horses they raise and ride the trails they haven’t seen within the country.

He grew up in North Lima, went to North Lima High School, and doesn’t plan on moving away.

But seeing what the roads are like without having to plow them will be a new experience for Stear .

“You just have to keep stuff simple,” Stear said. “Enjoy your life while you go. That’s what I do.”