Nelson Sears threw off his mortal coil on Sunday, December 5, 2021 at the age of 95. He was preceded in death by Sara Alice Sears, his wife of 67 years; a daughter Loretta Racine Sears; and his sisters Anna Mae Rohrbach and Hilda Orwick (formerly Hammers.) He is survived by his son Randall and his wife Robin; his son Russell and his wife Carol; five granddaughters, a step-granddaughter and four step-great-grandchildren. Nelson was the only son of Mary Adeline Sutherland Sears and Joe Sears.

Nelson enlisted in the Navy in June 1943 and served proudly until August 1947. He was wounded during the Normandy invasion and saw combat during the Battle of the Philippines and the Battle of Okinawa. He entered Japan as part of the occupation force at the end of the war. After the war, he was reassigned and cruised up the Yangtze River interacting with both the Chinese people and units of the Japanese Army. Nelson never failed to note that the Japanese and Americans were equally happy that the war ended.

Following the war, Nelson studied voice, general acting and management. Defying the odds, he gained employment with WGAL-TV in 1949 and presented the first newscast for the fledgling station. He enjoyed a 45-year career with WGAL-TV as a newscaster and program manager. He truly loved his work and appreciated the kind words of many fans.

Nelson loved people. He was a Mason; served on the Millersville University Board of Trustees; and the board of the Urban League of Lancaster. His hobbies included music, reading, chess, beekeeping, and violin making- including carving a fiddle from a piece of the original Ryman Auditorium stage.

A Funeral Service will be held at Bachman Snyder Funeral Home, 7 S Decatur St, Strasburg, PA 17579 on Thursday December 23, 2021 at 11:00 AM. Committal will follow at Georgetown Methodist Cemetery. Friends will be received at the Funeral Home one hour prior to service. At the request of the family, masks will be required at the Funeral Home. For those unable to attend, the service will be livestreamed on this page.