Cecelia Pearl Mears

Cecelia Pearl “Cece” Mears, 57, of Woodbury, TN passed away on September 7, 2021. She was born in McMinnville, TN on October 16, 1963. Preceding her in death were her father, Billy Wayne Mears; mother, Brownie Dean Russell; and half-brother, Manuel Malone.

She is survived by her brother, Waymon Mears of Woodbury; half-brothers, Joel King of Ohio and Luther Bill "Turk" (Tami) Mears of Lexington; half-sisters, Nancy (Norman) Pelham of McMinnville and Sabrina Malone of Virginia; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Ms. Cecelia was a woman as beautiful as her name inside and out. She had a light-hearted and carefree spirit mixed with an independent and strong-willed personality. Quick-witted, she loved to laugh, joke, and smile, and she made sure that whoever she was talking to was joining in on the fun. Her attractive personality and features earned her the title of Homecoming Queen in her younger years and attracted a lot of attention throughout her life.

When she graduated in the Class of '82 from Cannon County High School, the economy was on a downward slope, but when the going got tough, Cecelia was someone who rolled up her sleeves. She chased work opportunities to Texas and lived there for 4 years, working at the Radisson. As soon as she had the opportunity, she headed back to Tennessee and began working toward becoming a CNA, hoping to earn the title of LPN one day. Unfortunately, her health got in the way of her dreams, so she centered her life around what was truly important to her, and that was family.

Spending time with family and friends was time well spent to Cecelia, and she enjoyed a career at Bill's Packaging Store, working for Waymon for 15 years. It offered her the luxury of keeping her friends and family close at all times, and speaking of luxury, Mrs. Cecelia was true to her middle name. Waymon said she was a talented "rock hound" because she loved to hunt down geodes and other unique and beautiful rocks.

The family will hold private services at a later date. Share memories and condolences at www.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337

To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of Cecelia Pearl Mears, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.