Jerry "Alvin" Cearley

Jerry "Alvin" Cearley, 77, passed away Thursday, July 11, 2019. Service: 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, July 17, 2019. Interment: 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at Newcastle Cemetery in Newcastle. Visitation: 6 to 8 P.M. Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at White's Azle Funeral Home, 105 Denver Trail, Azle 76020. Alvin’s story began September 23, 1941 in Vernon, Texas born to Calvin and Bessie Cearley. Life took the family to Lake Worth, Texas where Alvin reluctantly attended high school. Alvin was a natural athlete and played football for the Lake Worth, Bull Frogs. He enjoyed time with his brothers and sisters and often told stories of years gone by harassing them in one form or another. Alvin was known for his ability to build or repair just about anything. He made a countless number of friends as the owner and operator of Cal and Son’s Auto Salvage and AKC Construction. Alvin always had a story to tell when you walked through the door keeping people entertained for hours. It was in Lake Worth where Alvin met, Donna Chapman, the love of his life on a blind date at Vivian Chenaults where they danced the night away at a local honky-tonk. They had a whirlwind romance and were married at his parents’ home on April 22, 1966 in Springtown. Alvin and Donna were truly best friends and spent every moment they could together. They began their life in Springtown, Texas where they began making memories together dancing in the kitchen, playing spoons or other card games with friends, and both of them were avid bowlers.   Alvin and Donna had three children Kenneth (Kap), Donna (Dawn), and Clint. Alvin taught his children to love and respect others, to be kind and giving, to trust God, and to “…know that together we can get through anything.” He was the biggest kid in the family playing any game that the kids wanted to play. Alvin loved taking his kids fishing, to rodeos, and riding horses. He would be right there with the kids riding bumper boats, go-karts, and three wheelers. Any games he played, he played with full force and a big smile on his face. It was normal to have nieces, nephews, and friends of the children at the house to play. When Alvin got home from work, he wouldn’t even go in the house, instead he would just start playing with the kids. The Cearley home was usually filled with laughter and fun except on the days the kids would have powder fights in the bathroom or run the horses back to the barn, these were the times Alvin had to teach the kids a “little respect.”   “Papa” as the nine grandchildren called him, was known to smell their stinky feet, play dominoes, go hunting, go horseback riding, organize lawn mower races around the yard, and hunt hogs. The only rule at Papa’s house was, “there are no rules.” The kids stayed up late watching movies sometimes the exact same scene over and over and over again. Papa even let them turn off the football game and turn on Disney movies. He volunteered to have his hair curled and fingernails painted just to keep the grandchildren busy and happy. He claimed he kept the Blue Bell ice cream stocked for the grandkids, but everyone knew the truth. Papa loved Brandon, Blake, Ketch, Stephanie, Justin, Kylie, Dillon, Sage, and Amber and great-granddaughter. Sophia. Over the last 16 years, Alvin was working on the family home in Newcastle, TX. He spent a lot of time remodeling the home, building iron fences and general upkeep. In the evenings, he would come to the back porch and whistle, which was Donna’s signal to bring ice water and sit with him making plans for their homestead.   On July 11, 2019 Alvin passed away at Harris Methodist Hospital. He left his friends and family with so many wonderful memories that his story will never end.