Obituary for Rev. Gwen W. Sears
The Reverend Phyllis Gwendolyn Irene Watson Sears, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, faithful friend, mentor, counselor, spiritual guide and joyful servant of God, departed this world on Friday, August 12, 2022 at 2:02 am, at the age of 94. Under a full summer moon, she returned home to her beloved husband, Noel Chase Sears, who passed away in 1978.
Gwen was born January 9, 1928 in Rhinebeck, NY to Clarance Watson and Helen Nairn. The family later settled in Dalton, MA, where Gwen attended high school, graduating in 1945. She attended Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, VA, focusing on Cultural Studies. She also excelled in equestrian arts, tennis and basketball. She married the love of her life, Noel, in 1948, and they made their home on Kirchner Road in Dalton, MA. In an old farmhouse known affectionately as ‘Mayhem Manor’ they raised their family and built a rich tapestry of friends and a community strong in faith.
In 1952, Gwen became a member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish in Pittsfield, MA which become her second home and sacred space. Inspired by her faith, in 1958 she acted as the local coordinator for the Fresh Air Fund, a nonprofit organization providing summer adventures in the country for lower-income children from New York City. That year, the Berkshire Eagle wrote of her work and quoted Gwen as saying, “Can you imagine the joy of knowing that you are responsible for a child being able to run barefoot through the grass for the first time?”
After serving in various roles as a layperson at St. Stephen’s, including Director of Christian Education, Gwen was ordained as Deacon in 1982. She served as a full-time member of the clergy until her retirement in 1989. Gwen would spend the rest of her life in service to God and her community, bringing communion to those in need, counseling dear friends and parishioners, performing marriage ceremonies, and championing social justice and environmental causes. Gwen fought for a fair and just world for the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized, which was ultimately recognized in October 2019 with the Berkshire Interfaith Organizing MICAH Award.
In later years, Gwen found spiritual fulfillment in travel, particularly to the British Isles where she spent time with many cousins and friends. Her travels eventually brought her to Iona, an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland that would capture her soul forever. Here, she lived and worked among the small local community (and many, many sheep) for several weeks each year for over two decades. On this small, remote island, the birthplace of Celtic Christianity in Scotland, she enjoyed a peace and stillness that fortified her faith. She made this annual pilgrimage for as long as her health allowed and kept photos of Iona’s ruins, cliffs, and beaches around her until the moment she passed.
Since 2006, Gwen was an active resident of Kimball Farms in Lenox, MA. There she busied herself with writing, painting, photography, gardening, jewelry making, and carefully curating films for the community’s movie club. Many remember her efforts to beautify the grounds with a bird and wildflower garden so that the residents could enjoy a perpetual green space. A naturalist to her core, Gwen was happiest with her hands in the dirt, planting flowers, shaded by her wide brimmed sun hat.
Gwen’s greatest legacy, apart from her adoring family, was her ability to open her arms to anyone in need. She kept boxes and boxes of letters from family, friends, and community members she received over the years, all of which thanked her for making them feel “at home” and for decades of her faithful friendship. One letter captured Gwen’s passions and spirituality perfectly — it included a poem written for her on her 70th birthday by her dear friend, Jan Morrow, titled “The Traveler”, which read:
“A small stone from Iona. Simple in shape, smooth to fingertips, something to hold. One from millions, that built an island; so small a thing, yet part of God’s vast creation. Dwelling now in another land, it is a token of friendship, of caring; it is a symbol of your sojourn in faith; chosen in a moment of solitude near the sea; then given to one on a distant shore traveling her own pilgrimage. This precious gift - as cherished as the giver.”
Gwen leaves four loving children: Nancy (Sears) Garton of Adams, MA (Barry Garton), Andrea Sears of NYC (Mary O’Shaugnessy), Deborah (Sears) Levin of Bend, OR (Jeffrey Levin), and Charles Sears of Cape Coral, FL. She also leaves a devoted tribe of 8 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, who affectionately called her “Super Nana”, including Sarah Durand of Norfolk, MA (Brian Beachkofski), their children Finn and Liam Beachkofski, Joshua Durand of Haverhill, MA (Emily Durand), their children Isabelle and Raven, Matthew Sears of Ft. Myers, FL (Megan Sears), their children Noah and Connor, Justin Sears of Cape Coral, FL (Kerri Sears), their children Austin and Kaylee, Emily Edens of Bend, OR (Brent Edens), their children Milo and Wyatt, Katherine Welk of Brooklyn, NY (Jeffrey Welk), their children Llewyn and Louisa, Jonah Sears of Brooklyn, NY, and Dounia Rathbone of San Francisco, CA.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 10, 2022 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Pittsfield, MA at 1:00pm. Visit www.ststephenspittsfield.org for a link to the live streamed presentation for those who are unable to attend in person. Omission of flowers has been requested in favor of donations to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.
Gwen was born January 9, 1928 in Rhinebeck, NY to Clarance Watson and Helen Nairn. The family later settled in Dalton, MA, where Gwen attended high school, graduating in 1945. She attended Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, VA, focusing on Cultural Studies. She also excelled in equestrian arts, tennis and basketball. She married the love of her life, Noel, in 1948, and they made their home on Kirchner Road in Dalton, MA. In an old farmhouse known affectionately as ‘Mayhem Manor’ they raised their family and built a rich tapestry of friends and a community strong in faith.
In 1952, Gwen became a member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Parish in Pittsfield, MA which become her second home and sacred space. Inspired by her faith, in 1958 she acted as the local coordinator for the Fresh Air Fund, a nonprofit organization providing summer adventures in the country for lower-income children from New York City. That year, the Berkshire Eagle wrote of her work and quoted Gwen as saying, “Can you imagine the joy of knowing that you are responsible for a child being able to run barefoot through the grass for the first time?”
After serving in various roles as a layperson at St. Stephen’s, including Director of Christian Education, Gwen was ordained as Deacon in 1982. She served as a full-time member of the clergy until her retirement in 1989. Gwen would spend the rest of her life in service to God and her community, bringing communion to those in need, counseling dear friends and parishioners, performing marriage ceremonies, and championing social justice and environmental causes. Gwen fought for a fair and just world for the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized, which was ultimately recognized in October 2019 with the Berkshire Interfaith Organizing MICAH Award.
In later years, Gwen found spiritual fulfillment in travel, particularly to the British Isles where she spent time with many cousins and friends. Her travels eventually brought her to Iona, an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland that would capture her soul forever. Here, she lived and worked among the small local community (and many, many sheep) for several weeks each year for over two decades. On this small, remote island, the birthplace of Celtic Christianity in Scotland, she enjoyed a peace and stillness that fortified her faith. She made this annual pilgrimage for as long as her health allowed and kept photos of Iona’s ruins, cliffs, and beaches around her until the moment she passed.
Since 2006, Gwen was an active resident of Kimball Farms in Lenox, MA. There she busied herself with writing, painting, photography, gardening, jewelry making, and carefully curating films for the community’s movie club. Many remember her efforts to beautify the grounds with a bird and wildflower garden so that the residents could enjoy a perpetual green space. A naturalist to her core, Gwen was happiest with her hands in the dirt, planting flowers, shaded by her wide brimmed sun hat.
Gwen’s greatest legacy, apart from her adoring family, was her ability to open her arms to anyone in need. She kept boxes and boxes of letters from family, friends, and community members she received over the years, all of which thanked her for making them feel “at home” and for decades of her faithful friendship. One letter captured Gwen’s passions and spirituality perfectly — it included a poem written for her on her 70th birthday by her dear friend, Jan Morrow, titled “The Traveler”, which read:
“A small stone from Iona. Simple in shape, smooth to fingertips, something to hold. One from millions, that built an island; so small a thing, yet part of God’s vast creation. Dwelling now in another land, it is a token of friendship, of caring; it is a symbol of your sojourn in faith; chosen in a moment of solitude near the sea; then given to one on a distant shore traveling her own pilgrimage. This precious gift - as cherished as the giver.”
Gwen leaves four loving children: Nancy (Sears) Garton of Adams, MA (Barry Garton), Andrea Sears of NYC (Mary O’Shaugnessy), Deborah (Sears) Levin of Bend, OR (Jeffrey Levin), and Charles Sears of Cape Coral, FL. She also leaves a devoted tribe of 8 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, who affectionately called her “Super Nana”, including Sarah Durand of Norfolk, MA (Brian Beachkofski), their children Finn and Liam Beachkofski, Joshua Durand of Haverhill, MA (Emily Durand), their children Isabelle and Raven, Matthew Sears of Ft. Myers, FL (Megan Sears), their children Noah and Connor, Justin Sears of Cape Coral, FL (Kerri Sears), their children Austin and Kaylee, Emily Edens of Bend, OR (Brent Edens), their children Milo and Wyatt, Katherine Welk of Brooklyn, NY (Jeffrey Welk), their children Llewyn and Louisa, Jonah Sears of Brooklyn, NY, and Dounia Rathbone of San Francisco, CA.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 10, 2022 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Pittsfield, MA at 1:00pm. Visit www.ststephenspittsfield.org for a link to the live streamed presentation for those who are unable to attend in person. Omission of flowers has been requested in favor of donations to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.