Plymouth Mourns Unexpected Loss Of Town Clerk Pearl Sears

PLYMOUTH, MA — The first woman in Plymouth's 400-year history to hold the Town Clerk's position died unexpectedly Friday.

Pearl Sears started her career in Plymouth in 2004 as a Census Data Clerk and quickly rose through the ranks until she was named Town Clerk in 2020, Town Manager Derek Brindisi said.

Word of her passing quickly spread through Facebook, with hundreds of people offering condolences. "She took the time for people," Cedarville resident Jodie Burkett posted."Absolutely stunned by this. What a loss!"

A GoFundMe has been organized to help support Sears' autistic son, who Cindy Sears says needs help in the wake of her death.

According to Brindisi, Sears and her staff successfully created the new districts and informed voters of their new polling places ahead of the upcoming May 21 election.

On the last Sunday of every month, Plymouth officials ring the bell at the National Pilgrim Memorial Meetinghouse for those lost to COVID-19. A separate bell ringing followed that ceremony just for Sears, with a large group gathering in the Town Square to honor her.

Sears's cause of death has not yet been released.

Memorial and funeral services have yet to be released, but will be updated as information comes in. Information on Sears' GoFundMe is available here.