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

 

March 26, 2003

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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

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Read and Adopted

 

SUMMARY—Memorializes aviation pioneer and philanthropist Moya Lear. (BDR R‑124)

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

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

 

1-1  Whereas, The members of the Nevada State Legislature and

1-2  the people of Nevada mourn the loss of one of its most endeared

1-3  residents, Moya Olsen Lear, who passed away on December 5,

1-4  2001; and

1-5  Whereas, Moya Maria Olsen was born in Chicago, Illinois, on

1-6  March 27, 1915, to Lillian, from whom she inherited her

1-7  practicality, strength and ingenuity, and John “Ole” Olsen, part of

1-8  the Vaudeville comedy team Olsen and Johnson and a comic genius,

1-9  from whom she inherited the wit and charm for which she was so

1-10  well known; and

2-1  Whereas, After attending Ohio State University and the Pace

2-2  Institute in New York City, Moya Olsen worked for her father who

2-3  was appearing in “Hellzapoppin,” one of the longest running

2-4  Broadway reviews, and soon met Bill Lear, who was to become

2-5  world famous as an inventor and aircraft designer; and

2-6  Whereas, After marrying in 1942, Moya and Bill Lear lived a

2-7  whirlwind life together, traveling worldwide and meeting heads of

2-8  state, movie stars, and kings and queens, while Bill continued his

2-9  work, which included the design of the famous Lear Jet aircraft,

2-10  with Moya supporting him through good times and bad; and

2-11      Whereas, The Lears moved to Nevada in 1967 when Bill Lear

2-12  sold Learjet Industries and bought land and buildings adjacent to the

2-13  deserted Stead Air Force Base to start a new company; and

2-14      Whereas, Moya Lear became a patron of the arts, serving on

2-15  the board of directors of many organizations, including the Nevada

2-16  Opera Association, the Nevada Festival Ballet and the Sierra Arts

2-17  Foundation, and providing a substantial donation that enabled the

2-18  remarkable transformation of Reno’s Christian Science Church into

2-19  an extraordinary community theater, named the Lear Theater in her

2-20  honor; and

2-21      Whereas, A great supporter of education, Moya Lear

2-22  established the Bill and Moya Lear Foundation Scholarship Fund

2-23  and used her Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award to

2-24  fund scholarships for women majoring in aeronautical science at

2-25  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where she also established

2-26  the Moya and Bill Lear Endowed Scholarship; and

2-27      Whereas, For her never-ending generosity with her money, her

2-28  time and her passionate spirit, Moya Lear has been awarded many

2-29  honors, including six honorary doctorates, and was inducted into the

2-30  halls of fame of such organizations as the Women in Aviation

2-31  Pioneers, the United States Achievement Academy, Nevada

2-32  Business Leaders and the Nevada Women’s Fund; and

2-33      Whereas, In 1999 Moya Lear was nominated for the Ageless

2-34  Heroes Program which honors persons over 65 years of age who

2-35  serve as role models in six categories: vigor and vitality, community

2-36  involvement, love of learning, creative expressions, winning against

2-37  the odds and bridging of generations, all qualities she possessed,

2-38  making her a role model and true inspiration for people of all ages

2-39  and genders; and

2-40      Whereas, After 36 years of marriage, Moya Lear lost her

2-41  beloved Bill, who asked her, as his last wish, to finish his dream of

2-42  building the Lear Fan, a new airplane considered daring and

2-43  innovative; and

2-44      Whereas, Although Moya Lear did not consider herself a

2-45  businesswoman, she assumed leadership of LearAvia and,

3-1  surrounding herself with dedicated employees, guided the initial

3-2  production and flight testing of the Lear Fan prototypes, fulfilling

3-3  Bill’s dream; and

3-4  Whereas, Moya Lear was a devoted mother and considered her

3-5  children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as one of her

3-6  proudest accomplishments; now, therefore, be it

3-7  Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the

3-8  Assembly Concurring, That Moya Lear has enriched the lives of

3-9  all who knew her and, with her legacy of generosity through

3-10  education, culture and the arts and her dedication to humanity, has

3-11  left all the people of Nevada better for having had her in our lives;

3-12  and be it further

3-13      Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and

3-14  transmit a copy of this resolution to John, Shanda, David and Tina,

3-15  the children of Moya Lear.

 

3-16  H