Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 25–Senators Raggio, Amodei, Care, Carlton, Cegavske, Coffin, Hardy, Mathews, McGinness, Neal, Nolan, O’Connell, Rawson, Rhoads, Schneider, Shaffer, Tiffany, Titus, Townsend, Washington and Wiener

 

Joint Sponsors: Assemblymen Gibbons, Anderson, Andonov, Angle, Arberry, Atkinson, Beers, Brown, Buckley, Carpenter, Chowning, Christensen, Claborn, Collins, Conklin, Geddes, Giunchigliani, Goicoechea, Goldwater, Grady, Griffin, Gustavson, Hardy, Hettrick, Horne, Knecht, Koivisto, Leslie, Mabey, Manendo, Marvel, McClain, McCleary, Mortenson, Oceguera, Ohrenschall, Parks, Perkins, Pierce, Sherer, Weber and Williams

 

FILE NUMBER..........

 

Senate Concurrent RESOLUTION—Memorializing aviation pioneer and philanthropist Moya Lear.

 

    Whereas, The members of the Nevada State Legislature and

 the people of Nevada mourn the loss of one of its most endeared

 residents, Moya Olsen Lear, who passed away on December 5,

 2001; and

    Whereas, Moya Maria Olsen was born in Chicago, Illinois, on

 March 27, 1915, to Lillian, from whom she inherited her

 practicality, strength and ingenuity, and John “Ole” Olsen, part of

 the Vaudeville comedy team Olsen and Johnson and a comic

 genius, from whom she inherited the wit and charm for which she

 was so well known; and

    Whereas, After attending Ohio State University and the Pace

 Institute in New York City, Moya Olsen worked for her father who

 was appearing in “Hellzapoppin,” one of the longest running

 Broadway reviews, and soon met Bill Lear, who was to become

 world famous as an inventor and aircraft designer; and

    Whereas, After marrying in 1942, Moya and Bill Lear lived a

 whirlwind life together, traveling worldwide and meeting heads of

 state, movie stars, and kings and queens, while Bill continued his

 work, which included the design of the famous Lear Jet aircraft,

 with Moya supporting him through good times and bad; and

    Whereas, The Lears moved to Nevada in 1967 when Bill Lear

 sold Learjet Industries and bought land and buildings adjacent to

 the deserted Stead Air Force Base to start a new company; and

    Whereas, Moya Lear became a patron of the arts, serving on

 the board of directors of many organizations, including the Nevada

 Opera Association, the Nevada Festival Ballet and the Sierra Arts

 Foundation, and providing a substantial donation that enabled the

 remarkable transformation of Reno’s Christian Science Church into

an extraordinary community theater, named the Lear Theater in her

honor; and

    Whereas, A great supporter of education, Moya Lear

 established the Bill and Moya Lear Foundation Scholarship Fund

 and used her Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award to

 fund scholarships for women majoring in aeronautical science at

 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where she also established

 the Moya and Bill Lear Endowed Scholarship; and

    Whereas, For her never-ending generosity with her money, her

 time and her passionate spirit, Moya Lear has been awarded many

 honors, including six honorary doctorates, and was inducted into

 the halls of fame of such organizations as the Women in Aviation

 Pioneers, the United States Achievement Academy, Nevada

 Business Leaders and the Nevada Women’s Fund; and

    Whereas, In 1999 Moya Lear was nominated for the Ageless

 Heroes Program which honors persons over 65 years of age who

 serve as role models in six categories: vigor and vitality,

 community involvement, love of learning, creative expressions,

 winning against the odds and bridging of generations, all qualities

 she possessed, making her a role model and true inspiration for

 people of all ages and genders; and

    Whereas, After 36 years of marriage, Moya Lear lost her

 beloved Bill, who asked her, as his last wish, to finish his dream of

 building the Lear Fan, a new airplane considered daring and

 innovative; and

    Whereas, Although Moya Lear did not consider herself a

 businesswoman, she assumed leadership of LearAvia and,

 surrounding herself with dedicated employees, guided the initial

 production and flight testing of the Lear Fan prototypes, fulfilling

 Bill’s dream; and

    Whereas, Moya Lear was a devoted mother and considered her

 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as one of her

 proudest accomplishments; now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the

 Assembly Concurring, That Moya Lear has enriched the lives

 of all who knew her and, with her legacy of generosity through

 education, culture and the arts and her dedication to humanity, has

 left all the people of Nevada better for having had her in our lives;

 and be it further

    Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and

 transmit a copy of this resolution to John, Shanda, David and Tina,

 the children of Moya Lear.

 

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