Shirley B. Lear, 86

Shirley B. Lear, 86 years young, passed away on Thursday, November 19, 2020. Shirley was born in Batavia, NY, on December 11, 1933. After moving to Center Sandwich, she received her bachelor’s degree in education from Plymouth State College. Kids were always the joy in her life. She was a life-long educator as a public school teacher in Ashland, NH, where she taught science for 29 years. Her classroom was always a diverse and expansive place for young students and her love for science was contagious. She had former students that continued to visit her into her 80s. Shirley continued on to become a Master Teacher at the Antioch Graduate School in Keene, where she traveled throughout New England teaching teachers and sharing her enthusiasm for teaching.

Shirley loved to travel, which included trips to Mexico, Central America, Hungary, and into her 70s she would drive across the country with her dog Silver, stopping at national parks on her way to stay the winter months with her daughter Christy. In her spare time, she tended to gardens and lawns in Center Sandwich, including a few years at the Community School in Tamworth. She shared her love of gardens and particularly flowers with many students there, as well as with her kids, grandkids, and friends. Shirley was a known collector of rocks and could frequently be found rebuilding the stone wall behind her house or searching for that ever-elusive perfect rock.

Shirley loved to read. She would always have a pile of books beside her chair and numerous books on tape for her cross-country drives. Shirley was an avid antique collector and was well-known for her ability to repurpose things some might consider to be junk. She was also a major supporter of athletics and supported her kids (both the school kids and her own) in many ventures. In her early life, she was an avid tennis player and encouraged all to participate. Another great love of Shirley’s was collecting art. She brought great art into her home and passed on many treasures that now hang on the walls of her children’s and grandchildren’s homes.

Shirley is survived by her children whom she loved with all of her heart: Andrea Lear of Concord, NH, Christina Lear of Hayward, CA, as well as Benjamin Lear and his wife Deanne of Moultonborough. She was predeceased by her eldest daughter, Rebecca, in 2003. Additionally, she welcomed four grandchildren into her heart: Mackenzie and Crawford Kilpatrick; Brianna and Jessica Lear. She took great joy in having family around her and additionally welcomed seven great-grandchildren to her family.

A graveside service will be held next spring at the Grove Street Cemetery in Center Sandwich, where she will be laid to rest next to her daughter, Rebecca.