Philip Pear, 85, a tax lawyer and an accountant in the Washington area for four decades, died of pneumonia May 31, 2005 at
Suburban Hospital in Bethesda.
Mr. Pear was a member of the Montgomery County Revenue Authority from 1961 to 1967 and a member of Maryland's State
Board of Higher Education from 1971 to 1988, during which he led efforts to increase state aid to colleges and universities. He
also helped establish the Center for Biomedical Ethics at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville.
Mr. Pear was born in Washington, graduated from Central High School and received bachelor's and law degrees from George
Washington University. During World War II, he served stateside in the Navy. He practiced law in a small firm and as a sole
practitioner. He was a founder of State National Bank in Bethesda.
Mr. Pear enjoyed art, travel, theater and music.
His wife of 38 years, Marion Kopel Pear, died in 1983.
Survivors include his wife of 21 years, Muriel Miller Pear of Bethesda; two sons from his first marriage, Douglas Pear of
Baltimore and Robert Pear of Bethesda; a brother, Leon Pear of San Diego; a sister, Vivian Pear Barnett of Rockville; two
grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.