Richard Warden Sears Jr. (April 22, 1943 – June 1, 2024) was an American politician who was a Democratic member of the Vermont State Senate, representing the Bennington senate district.

Dick Sears
Sears in 2017
Member of the Vermont Senate
from the Bennington district
In office
January 1993 – June 1, 2024
Serving with Brian Campion
Preceded byJohn Page
Personal details
Born
Richard Warden Sears Jr.

(1943-04-22)April 22, 1943
Framingham, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJune 1, 2024(2024-06-01) (aged 81)
Albany, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseBeverly Bushey
Residence(s)Bennington, Vermont, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Vermont (BA)

Sears was first elected to the Vermont State Senate in 1992 and continued to serve until his death in June 2024.

Biography

edit

Sears was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, on April 22, 1943.[1] He attended school in Ashland, Massachusetts, followed by the New Hampton School in New Hampton, New Hampshire. He went on to receive a B.A. degree from the University of Vermont in 1969.

Sears resided in Bennington, Vermont, from 1971, and was married to Beverly Sears (formerly Beverly Bushey).[1]

Sears worked in residential programs for troubled youth from the 1970s. He died in Albany, New York on June 1, 2024, at the age of 81.[2][3]

Public life

edit

Sears served on the Bennington school board from 1987 to 1993 and was chairman for four of those years.

In 1992, he was elected to the Vermont State Senate, and was reelected in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020.[1]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Fountain, Kristen (June 2, 2024). "Bennington County Sen. Dick Sears has died at 81". VTDigger. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  2. ^ Forbes, Cherise; Therrien, Jim (June 2, 2024). "Longtime Senator Richard 'Dick' Sears Jr. dies at 81". Bennington Banner. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  3. ^ "Colleagues remember Sen. Dick Sears as a friend & champion of the people". 4 June 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-06-05. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
edit