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John Sears
was a talented artist, inspiring teacher, loyal friend, devoted father and a loving husband. He grew up in South Bend, Ind.,
and began making
art at a very young age, and he enjoyed recounting tales of his first exhibit in a neighbor’s garage when he was 10
years old, for which he charged buttons for admission.
He earned a diploma in drawing and painting and a bachelor’s
degree in art education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, followed by a master’s degree in art education
from Northern Illinois University.Before moving to Bucks County in 1970,
John taught art at private and public schools in the Chicago area. From 1970 to 1985 he taught drawing and painting at George
School in Newtown, Pa. In 1983 he was recognized by Rhode Island School of Design as one of the nation’s leading secondary
art educators.His work has been included in exhibits
throughout the United States and has received many awards, including the Patron’s Prize for Graphics at the Phillips
Mill Art Exhibition, First Prize for works on canvas in Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital’s Art Ability International
Exhibition for Artists with Disabilities, The Creativity Award at the All About Art exhibit at Moss Rehab and Honorable Mention
at Princeton Medical Center’s Art First exhibition. His art is in both public and private collections, including those
of Pittsburgh Plate Glass, Pittsburgh National Bank, Mobil Oil, and Pittsburgh Copper Corporation.
On May 17, 1985, John was involved in a near-fatal bicycling crash that left him with
a traumatic brain injury and such disabilities as partial paralysis, speech disorders, and double vision, as well as cognitive
deficits. Despite these challenges, he continued his work as an artist and a teacher.“Making art has been a central part of my life since I was a child. After my accident, when
the doctors told me that I might not be able to make art again, I was devastated. I couldn’t imagine living without
being able to create. Using as much will and determination as I could muster, I kept on trying, so that I could once again
work in my studio and teach,” he said about his recovery.
Described by his George School students as a born teacher, after his accident he continued to volunteer as an art teacher
at Beechwood, a residential facility for people with brain injuries; Langhorne Gardens Rehab, and St. Mary Medical Center’s
rehab unit. He also led workshops at the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania’s annual conference in Harrisburg,
at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and at the Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing. He also volunteered
and studied at the CAPS! art school in Yardley. His dedication as a volunteer earned him the President’s Award from
Woods Services and the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania’s Inspiration Award.John was a member of the Philadelphia Sketch Club, Nuvisions for Disabled Artists, the
Artists of Yardley, Artsbridge and the Heads on Straight brain injury support group. He found a spiritual home at the Unitarian
Universalist Church at Washington Crossing.
In addition to teaching and making art, John enjoyed sailing on his boat “Contrast” on the Bohemia River
near his summer cottage in Hack’s Point on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He also participated in the One Step at a
Time therapeutic riding program in Pineville and he took great pride in the many prizes and awards that he earned in events
at the Devon Horse Show each year. Ardent lovers of and advocates for the arts, John and his wife, Anne, enjoyed visiting
museums throughout the country and abroad - John always with his sketchbook in hand. They regularly visited the Philadelphia
Museum of Art, Grounds for Sculpture and many galleries. He enjoyed attending – and documenting through sketches and
photos– jazz at McCarter Theater, dance at the Annenberg Center, Philadelphia Orchestra concerts and countless performances
presented by Westminster Choir College.
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