Helen Louise (Hardy) Gear

Helen Louise (Hardy) Gear, 90, of Clarksburg, WV passed away peacefully at the Maplewood Healthcare Center in Bridgeport, WV at 2:10 a.m. on Thursday, August 14, 2025 after a lengthy battle with dementia.

Helen was born on September 11, 1934 in Clarksburg, and was the daughter of the late Harvey Hardy and Sarah (Sutton) Hardy.

Helen is survived by her husband of 70 wonderful years, Verl W. Gear.  They were married on October 24, 1954, in Oakland, Maryland.

Also surviving are their five children: Karen Brand of Clarksburg, David Gear (Polly) of Clarksburg, John Gear (Cheryl) of  Clarksburg, Jeffrey Gear (Anita) of Kenna, WV, Cheryl Lewis (J.T.) of Virginia Beach, VA; 14 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren, and one on the way; several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Helen was also preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, James and Cyndonia Hardy; her maternal grandparents, Sebastian and Florence Sutton; brother and sister-in-law, Ralph and Renate Hardy; brother, Richard Hardy; sisters-in-law, Leora Leary and Lorena Griffith; one son-in-law, Eugene Brand.

Helen was a 1952 graduate of Washington Irving High School in Clarksburg. After graduation, she began her secretarial career. Throughout the years, she was a secretary at Bailey, Inc., a court reporter, and a legal secretary for various attorneys, having retired from Waters, Warner & Harris on January 21, 2000.

Helen loved family get-togethers, gardening, and traveling with her husband. They had traveled through all of the United States, except Hawaii, and in Canada.

Helen will be greatly missed by all of her family and friends.

Helen’s family would like to thank everyone at Maplewood Healthcare Center for their excellent treatment and care of Helen while she was a resident there for the past few months.

Family will receive friends at Davis Funeral Home, 124 Olen Thomas Drive, Clarksburg, WV 26301, on Sunday, August 17, 2025, from 1:00pm-5:00pm and on Monday, August 18, 2025, from 10:00am until the time of the funeral service at 12:00 Noon with Pastor Dustin McCune officiating. Interment will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent to the Gear Family at DavisFuneralHomeWV.com. Davis Funeral Home is honored to serve the Gear family.

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