Mr. Roland Dear

William Roland Dear, 79, passed away Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at Willow Creek Nursing Home in Byram. Visitation will be Friday, October 14th from 5-8 PM and Saturday, October 15th from 10 AM until the 11 AM. Funeral Service will be at 11:00 AM at Chancellor Funeral Home in Florence. Burial will immediately follow the service in the Garden of Memories. Born into a musical family beginning with his parents meeting while his mother played piano and his father sang bass, Roland was a professional statesman for southern gospel music. He spent his entire adult life singing with many quartets to include the Dear Family and Sons of Faith, to name a few. Roland was the minister of music at numerous Baptist churches including Mtn. Creek for 20 years, Gatesville Baptist for 14 years and also Antioch Baptist Church in Simpson County. He was also a salesman in the waterworks industry most of his life and was a Southwest Rankin Water Association Board Member from the beginning. He loved people and worked for Chancellor Funeral Home as an assistant funeral director from their opening in 2002. Roland loved his family and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was the founder and president for 20 years of Old Pearl Game Management Hunting Club. Roland is preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Nell White Dear; sister, Sydnette Dear; He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Bobbie Dear; sons, William Andy (Pam) Dear and Tim Carl (Beverly) Dear; step-son, Andy (Lori) Sasser; daughter, Sharon (Rodney) Sims and step-daughter, Terri Sasser; brothers, Eddie Dear and Johnny Dear; 11 grandchildren; and 9 great grandchildren.