Powerboat Community Remembers Texas Performance Boat Enthusiast David Spear

A boater all his life, Texas-based go-fast boat enthusiast David Spear died unexpectedly in his sleep on Friday morning. The 64-year-old owner of Distant Thunder, a pristine closed-canopy 40-foot catamaran from Marine Technology Inc., and The Sleeper, a stunning Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats SL 44 V-bottom, was a dedicated performance boater who competed in the Texas Outlaw Challenge top-speed contest and participated in Florida Powerboat Club events and other poker runs as often as his busy schedule allowed.

David Spear always had fun running his carbon-fiber 40-foot canopied MTI. Photo by Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

Spear will be deeply missed by many in the community. He is survived by his wife of more than eight years, Lisa Black Spear, her children, Spencer and Brier, and her grandchildren, Elias Elsie and Charlie, and his sister, Barbara, and brother-in-law, Stephen.

“What I would give for one more boat ride, one more glass of bourbon, one more debate over which gun is the best of all time, one more discussion about life in general with you,” Spear’s friend Paul Shouse, a Skater Powerboats owner, wrote in a Facebook post to Spear, who he said had a heart bigger than Texas. “There’s a hole in our hearts that will never be replaced. God speed my friend.”

Billy Moore, the veteran throttleman and setup specialist who helped Spear learn to run his MTI, which was powered by twin Mercury Racing 1350 engines, when he bought it in 2017, was distraught when he heard the news of Spear’s passing.

“David always had a smile and he loved running fast,” Moore said. “He was definitely a fun guy to be around. No matter what the situation was he was going to make light of it in a positive way.”

Outerlimits sales manager Dan Kleitz said Spear had a real passion for powerboating.

“He was always a pleasure to deal with on a business level and always loved to chat about boats,” Kleitz said. “He will be truly missed. Godspeed and may he Rest In Peace.”

Check out the slideshow above for more images of Spears with his wife, Lisa, and his friends and family. Photos courtesy Lisa Spear and Paul Shouse

“You were one hell of a guy who loved to have a good time,” Josh Tompkins of JK Marine Services in Destin, Fla., wrote on Spear’s Facebook page. “I am lucky that our paths crossed and I was able to call you a friend. You will be missed dearly!”

Spear, who worked in the oil industry, was originally from the Boston area and lived all over the world from Turkey, Spain, UAE and Italy to Puerto Rico, Iraq, Kazakhstan and, of course, the United States.

“David loved his boats—they were his babies,” said Lisa Spear, who met David in Italy and worked with him in Dubai and Basra. “He loved being on the water and he loved boating in Florida. Unfortunately he just repowered the MTI and due to foot surgery he didn’t have a chance to take it full throttle.”

Powerboat Community Remembers Texas Performance Boat Enthusiast David Spear

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