Travis Sears

P. T. Sears, Jr., was born on October 16, 1937, to P. T. Sears and Irene Mae Lesovsky Sears. He was raised in Albany, TX, the only son, born during his parents' later years. To them, he was a blessing, but to his sister, then 14, he was the bane of her existence. She later eloped at the age of 16 to escape him. (After he flushed her majorette hat down the toilet)

After an eventful childhood, during which he became acquainted with all forms of local law enforcement, including his high school coach, he finally graduated from Albany High School in the spring of 1956. It was during this period of his life that he obtained the nickname "Zig," by which he is still known by many today. He then attended Tarleton Junior College, and after several shenanigans, he was politely asked to move off campus. About this time, he transferred to Texas A&I in Kingsville. Enough said!

Upon returning home to Albany and expressing no desire to go to work or return to school but rather to sleep all day and carouse all night, his father, the county commissioner, called the local draft board and requested that Travis be sent to visit another relative—Uncle Sam. Away he went for two years. During this segment of his education, he got to play with the big guns (the Honest John Missile for one.)

After returning to the U.S. from Germany, he met and married the love of his life—or the only woman who would or could put up with him, Tommie Cline Sears. They married in 1962 in Midland, TX, and were married for 55 years until her death in 2017. They had two children, Tres Sears with his wife Misty and Gwen Wilson with her husband Mari, who then blessed them with two amazing grandkids, Gracie and Noah.

At this time in his life, Travis finally decided to go to work! He went to work in the wholesale liquor business in 1964 after a brief stint of starvation in real estate. He was loading trucks for Terk Distributing Co. in Odessa, TX, when Impact went wet. From there, he went into sales, quickly becoming the West Texas State Manager for Heublein Inc. before being named State Manager of New Mexico and finally Arizona.

When Abilene went wet in 1978, he was offered the job of branch manager of the local Terk Distributing office and a chance to move back home. Since Heublein had told Travis his next promotion would entail a move to Los Angeles, California, he promptly accepted. Imagine an old boy from Albany, Texas, attempting to drive in Los Angeles while raising two children! No way! So to Abilene they came.

After the move, Travis served the Boys Ranch for 29 years in one manner or another. He was on the board and helped organize various golf tournaments, including the “World’s fastest round of golf,” several dove hunts, and skeet shoots, until he just gave out and retired from everything but “enjoying life to the fullest.”  He also spent many years as one of the “Dirty Dozen” cooking for military members and their families during the “World’s Largest Barbeque.”

He spent his retirement working at Pinkies, where he loved meeting and talking to just about everyone.

He passed away at home on February 2, 2023, in his own bed surrounded by his loved ones and beloved dog, John Henry.

A memorial will be held on Friday, February 10, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at The Hamil Family Funeral Home with Pastor Anthony Cedar of Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church officiating. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Abilene Boy’s Ranch