SALEM- Herbert P. Lear, 87, husband of Carrie “Frances” (Lendall) Lear, of Beverly, formerly of Salem, died Tuesday morning, December 24, 2002, at the Salem Hospital following a brief illness.
Born and raised in Lynn, he was the son of the late Charles O. and Mildred B. (Putnam) Lear. He attended Wentworth Institute and Burdett College and was a member of the Wentworth Institute Alumni Association. He received an honorary degree from Wentworth Institute in technologies in 1992.
Mr. Lear was an Army Air Corps Veteran of WWII and attained the rank of Private First Class.
Prior to his retirement in 1976, he was employed for many years as a maintenance supervisor, first by J. J. Newbury’s at the North Shore Shopping Center, Peabody, then for W. T. Grant’s, traveling to various stores around the route 128 loop, and then at F. W. Woolworth’s Department Store at Downtown Crossing in Boston.He was an assistant manager of the Salem Credit Bureau, then a part of the Salem Chamber of Commerce, and worked in the office of the Salem Off Street Parking Commission at the Salem parking garage. He was a volunteer and member of the AARP.
A resident of Salem from 1943 until moving to Beverly earlier this year, Mr Lear was a member of the First Universalist Church in Salem. He was a member of the Danvers Alarm List Company from its inception in 1974, and the American Legion in Worburn. He was a former member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Salem, and assistant Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. During his youth, he was a member of the Boy Scouts of America in Lynn, where he advanced through the ranks to become an Eagle Scout. Later, he was a Scout Master in Salem.
Besides his wife, with whom he shared 59 years of marriage, he is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law, Janice & Ronald Wollinger of Woburn, Roberta & Stephen Crowell of Danvers, Deborah & George Smith of Saugus, eleven grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, one niece and one nephew. He was predeceased by one sister, Gertrude Bailey.
His funeral service will be held Saturday, December 28, 2002 at 11am in the Full-Spychalski Funeral Home, 84 Washington Square East, by Salem Common, Salem, with Rev. Gail Seavey, Pastor of the First Universalist Church, Salem, officiating. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours are Friday, 2 to 4 & 7 to 9 pm. Burial is in Pine Grove Cemetery, Lynn. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Danvers Alarm List Company, 149 Pine St., Danvers, MA 01923. For guestbook & directions, visit www.SalemFuneral.com.