Paul Davis “Buddy” McCearley, 77, died Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018.

From leading men across the frozen tundra of the Arctic to negotiating with headhunters while navigating the Amazon, Paul fully embraced and lived all of the challenges and adventures life had to offer.

A polyglot scholar-scientist, he lived his life as a demonstration of the strong values, morals, and ethics he believed.

Most of all, Paul was a fiercely loving and loyal husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and friend. Paul believed in the Lord’s eternal promise of Christ’s love beyond death and time.

Paul is survived by the love of his life, his wife, Liz McCearley of Brandon; his three sons and their spouses, Jerry and Sandra McCearley of Jackson, Missouri, Ty McCearley and David Kay of Liberty Hill, Texas and Adam McCearley and his fiancé Elizabeth Siegenthaler of Delaware, Ohio; his brother, Clyde McCearley of Houston, Texas; his sister, Sarah McCearley Dodson of Jackson and his two grandsons, Campbell Davis McCearley and Cooper Allen McCearley.

Paul was preceded in death by his son, Joseph McCearley; his two sisters, Freddie McCearley Cloutier and Sharon “Sherry” Baldon Hathorn of Prentiss; his father, Clyde Davis McCearley of Woodville; his mother, Elizabeth “Libby” Cann McCearley Baldon; and his grandmother, Effie Jane Tyrone Cann.

Memorial funeral services were officiated by Dr. Ron Bird at First Baptist Church of Fannin in Brandon.