Robert C. Tears, 85, of Ulysses, PA, died Thursday, October 22, 2020 in UPMC Hamot, Erie.
Born April 23, 1935, in Penn Yan, NY, he was the son of
Francis X. and A. Whilma Crane Tears. On
May 10, 2009, in Big Sandy, MT, he married the former Judith A. Avery, who
survives. A US Army Veteran, he served
honorably from 1954 – 1957. A 1961
graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical College, he was employed as a certified
airframe and power plant mechanic with inspector authorization, commercial
pilot, and flight instructor. Bob
designed and built his own aircraft, the Raptor. Bob was a member of the Experimental Aircraft
Association and Cessna 180 Owners Association.
Residing in Alaska for 30 years and Montana for nine years, he retired
to Ulysses in 2011. In addition to his
wife, Judy, he is survived by a step-son, Russell (Nancy) Ferguson of Kotzebue,
AK.
Burial will be in Lakeview Cemetery, Penn Yan, NY. Memorials may be made to the Experimental Aircraft Association, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI, 54903-3086 or at www.eaa.org. Arrangements are under the direction of Olney-Foust Funeral Homes & Crematory, Ulysses, PA. Online condolences may be expressed at www.olneyfoust.com.
