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| George E. Lear
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| NO. 17472 • 17 July 1927 – 15 November 2000
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Died in Silver Spring, MD
Interred in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
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When we lost George Emory Lear, we lost one of the bravest men to ever
live. After a grueling nine‑month battle, he succumbed to cancer. He left
behind three distinguished careers: as a military officer, a nuclear engineer,
and a sailor.
George was born and raised in Weirton, WV. He graduated from Weir High
School in 1945 and attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute for a year before
entering West Point in 1946. He was an impressive flanker in M‑2 Company,
and a member of the Cadet Chapel Choir, the Pistol and Ski Clubs, from which he
would later make a big jump to sailing.
As a cadet, he worked hard, always was prepared for the next day's
lesson, and then turned to help others. These qualities, combined with his
intelligence, made him an outstanding officer. His academic achievements are
memorable: a bachelor of science from the Academy; a master's in civil and
nuclear engineering from Northwestern University; a second master's in nuclear
engineering from Catholic University of America; and certification as a
professional engineer. He leaves behind many technical publications on nuclear
reactors and radioactive waste management.
George's military career took him from combat engineer platoon leader in
support of the 7th Infantry and 1st Marine Divisions (1950‑51) in the
Korean War to engineer company commander, tactical officer at Engineer OCS,
duty on the USAREUR Engineer Division staff, and CGSC. As he rose in seniority,
he served in the Office of the Chief of Engineers as a project officer in the
Nuclear Power Division, designing and building a nuclear power plant for an
isolated post in the Alaskan wilderness. For that, he received the Meritorious
Service Medal. Next, he served as the plans officer, Engineer Section, Eighth
Army, Korea, followed by a tour at West Point as an associate professor of
mathematics.
After further service with the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), George
retired as a colonel and continued a civilian career with the AEC, which was
redesignated the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). With the NRC, he joined
the Senior Executive Service, working on commercial nuclear reactors and
radioactive waste disposal problems. He became a director for licensing,
construction, and operation of commercial nuclear power plants, requiring
expertise in nuclear power plant design, supervision of reactor operation,
monitoring of environmental concerns, and the hydrologic and geotechnical
aspects of plant sites. Upon his second retirement, he became a consultant to
the World Bank, working with the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation on
control of radioactive waste from peacetime nuclear facilities.
George's 25 years of sailing were equally impressive. He raced sailboats
competitively with his wife Mary Ellen and with midshipmen of the Naval
Academy. He and Mary Ellen also spent many happy days cruising the Chesapeake
Bay. They purchased their last boat, Souffle, shortly before George was
diagnosed with his terminal illness. While fighting cancer, he spent his time
looking forward to the day when he could again pack his golf clubs and tennis
racket on the boat and sail away with Mary Ellen to another adventure.
His other activities include volunteering as coach at the Naval Academy
for 22 years and teaching midshipmen how to sail. While there, he served as a
safety officer and officer in charge on the Naval Academy yacht's racing in
ocean competition, including many Annapolis‑to‑Bermuda races, for
which he received numerous awards. As a volunteer, he taught piloting and
celestial navigation for the Naval Academy Sailing Squadron and for his own
company, Lear Enterprises. In addition, George earned his Coast Guard 100‑ton
captain’s license on inland waters.
His most recent contribution was as chairman of the West Point Sailing
Foundation. George was a dedicated supporter of cadet sailing at West Point,
generously giving his time and resources to develop a competitive Army sailing
team. In his memory, the foundation annually presents the George E. Lear
Outstanding Cadet Competitive Sailing Award to a member of the Army sailing
team.
George's other hobbies included studying French, which brought him great
satisfaction; playing golf, which gave him great challenges; and playing
tennis, which brought him many competitive hours of pleasure. He was a man who
always was reading, studying, and actively pursuing new challenges.
One of his challenges, in later years, was serving on the board of
directors of the Planned Lifetime Assistance Network, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to the support of the handicapped. He worked diligently for that
cause. In addition, he was the Vindo Sailing Club commodore of Chesapeake Bay,
Spring Cove Yacht Club director, member of the Southern Maryland Sailing
Association, and a member of the board of the Annapolis Naval Sailing
Association.
He also was a member of the Sigma Xi Research Society, a leadership donor
to the Bicentennial Campaign for West Point, a member of the American Society
of Civil Engineers, the American Nuclear Society Silver Certificate, Baltimore‑Washington
Health Physics Society, the Cullum Society, the U.S. Naval Institute, the
Institute of Navigation, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and
the Military Order of the Caribou.
Survivors include his wife Mary Ellen Shepherd Lear; four daughters from
a previous marriage: Amy, Mary, Georgianna, and Dorthy Lear; two stepdaughters:
Beth and Heather Scharf; and four grandchildren. He dearly loved his family
and, shortly before his death, said of them, "All the women are beautiful,
the men handsome, and the grandchildren above average."
George loved West Point. Later in his life, when he sang the "Alma
Mater," he did so standing a bit taller, chest extended a bit further, and
chin up a little higher. "And when our work is done, our course is run,
may it be said, 'Well done. Be thou at peace.' "
His wife, Bill Davis, and Frank King
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USMA 1950