HOUSTON, TX
David Randall Speer was born August 14, 1954 in Franklin, Indiana and died November 23, 2020 at Harbor Hospice, Houston, Texas. David was a 1972 graduate of Howe Military School in Howe, Indiana and a 1976 graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana with a BS in Microbiology.
He worked as a clinical and research microbiologist for Huntington Labs and then joined the Marketing and Technical Sales Department at Vestal Lab and Betz companies prior to their merger with Unilever Labs. He was the youngest manager in the history of the Vestal company and managed the team that formulated the first hand disinfectant sanitizer with EPA registration.
David returned to school to pursue his love of medicine and in 1998 graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of North Florida with a BS in nursing and in 2002 graduated from the University of Florida with a MS in nursing. He was employed as an intensivist nurse practitioner at the University of Florida at Shands Hospital in Jacksonville, FL before returning to Indiana in 2008. He was employed at St. Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital and later at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Franklin, where he was born.
David was a life-timer learner and was enrolled in a second Masters program at the University of Texas before becoming ill in 2018. He was an avid reader of ancient history, world religions, science fiction and military history and loved to travel. He was a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the American Society of Microbiology and was recognized for achievements by Phi Kappa Phi, National Academic Honor Society, Sigma Theta Tau and National Nursing Honor Society.
He is survived by his wife of 4 years, Margie Fougeron, Richmond, TX and step-daughter and family, Melissa and Matt Bueninck, and Ellie and Oliver of Houston, Texas. Known to his family as Randy or DR, he is survived by his sister, Sandy Kirts Cantrell, Columbus, IN and two nieces and their families, Stephanie (Randy) Johnson, Josh and Jordan, Columbus, IN and Shannon (Sam) Hickey, Caleb, Connor and Corban, Morgantown, IN. He is also survived by his father-in-law, Gene Fougeron, Seward, NE, sister-in-law Donna (Larry) Heyen, Pleasant Dale, NE, and brothers -in-law, Ken (Sherry), Lincoln, NE and Steve (Marcy) Fougeron, Milford, NE and a host of nieces and nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Edgar and Lola (Perry) Speer, mother-in-law, Evelyn Fougeron, and brother-in-law, Wally Cantrell.
A Memorial Gathering (Covid friendly) will be at the Sunrise Pointe Park, Del Webb Parkway and Sweetgrass Circle in Richmond, Texas on Sunday, November 29th from 3 – 4 p.m.
A celebration of life will be at a later date in Indianapolis, IN and burial in Pleasant Dale Cemetery, Pleasant Dale, NE.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to The Rostomily Glioblastoma Research Lab, Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation, PO Box 4384, Houston, TX 77210.
