Roy Merrill Speer Jr. (June 23, 1932 – August 21, 2012) was an American attorney, entrepreneur and the former CEO, co-founder and chairman of the Home Shopping Network.
He resigned from the Home Shopping Network in 1993.
Speer was born in Key West, Florida and graduated from Stetson University in Deland, Florida and from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida.
Speer left his job as an assistant state attorney two years after being hired in 1965.
Early in his legal career, Speer worked for the State of Florida in Tallahassee as a Special Assistant Attorney General. He also worked as Assistant Trial Staff Counsel for the U.S. Labor Relations Board. During this period, Speer developed a working relationship with A. Jay Cristol who is now Senior Federal Judge of the Southern Federal Bankruptcy Court. After leaving Tallahassee, he became a chief lobbyist for the City of St. Petersburg, specializing in water rights and laws. Later, Speer was appointed Assistant State Attorney for Pinellas County by Governor Haydon Burns. He then practiced law with John DeVito and Elizabeth A. Kovachevich, who is now a Senior Federal Judge. He dated Elizabeth A. Kovachevich in law school.
fire is the color of my true love's hair
near to the father sits his golden chair
by prayer and petition to the king on his left
light is the burden that i bear
o so enchanting are these
lovely chains that bind you
'neath their deadly weight
the lord's eye did find you
with fear and tremblin'
before the one with your wounds
your eyes as empty as my savior tomb
warm is the breath of his holy spirit
he who has ears to hear let 'm hear it
torn were the hands of the worthy lamb
may you know his name and fear it
there you are hangin' by the golden rope
there you lie no hope