Claire Lear: Where is Norman Lear’s sister now?

Claire Lear is the sister of Norman Lear. Claire Lear’s brother is famous for being a screenwriter and producer. He has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows since the 1970s. Some of his popular sitcoms include the multi-award-winning All in the Family as well as Maude, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, and Good Times.

Claire Lear: Bio Summary

Claire Lear was born in 1925 in New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America to her parents Herman Lear and Jeanette Seicol. She is the youngest child of the family and Norman was her elder brother- He was 3 years old than her. Their father Hyman “Herman” Lear was a traveling salesman. Norman Lear and his sister Claire grew up in a Jewish household in Connecticut and like most Jew families had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony. Their mother was originally from Ukraine, while their father’s family was from Russia.

ALSO, READ; Jeanette Seicol: Who is Norman Lear’s mother?

When Claire was six, and living with her family in Chelsea, Massachusetts, her father went to prison for selling fake bonds. Her brother thought of their father as a “rascal” and said that the character of Archie Bunker (whom Lear depicted as white Protestant on the show) was in part inspired by his father, while the character of Edith Bunker was in part inspired by their mother.

Claire’s father passed away on December 23, 1957, at the age of 64 in New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. Her mother Jeanette Seicol Gladstein passed away on 29 May 1990 at the age of 90 in Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA.

ALSO, READ; Herman Lear: What happened to Norman Lear’s father?

What happened to the sister of Norman Lear?

Though Claire Lear is the sister of a famous Hollywood personality, not much is known about her professional and personal life. Her brother started out with a career in public relations. That career choice was inspired by their Uncle Jack. Talking about his uncle, Norman Lee said-“My dad had a brother, Jack, who flipped me a quarter every time he saw me. He was a press agent so I wanted to be a press agent. That’s the only role model I had. So all I wanted was to grow up to be a guy who could flip a quarter to a nephew.“

ALSO, READ; Kate Lear- Everything About Norman Lear’s daughter

Claire Lear passed away in 2015 at the age of 90. The cause of her death was not announced to the public. On July 27, 2022, Claire’s brother turned 100. In an Instagram post a day before his 100th birthday, Claire Lear’s brother serenaded his followers with “That’s Amore,” the classic tune famously performed by his longtime friend and collaborator Dean Martin.

“The miracle of being alive with everything that’s available to us and me turning 100 tomorrow,” Lear said in the video. “That’s as believable to me as today I’m 99.” The six-time Emmy winner decided to celebrate his birthday week by bouncing between interviews, op-eds, and personal reflections. “I like getting up in the morning,” Norman told People. “I have always liked it because I’ve always had something to do. I was born that way, and it is a great gift. As I talk about it, I accept it as a gift.”

Claire Lear’s brother has been married three times. He was married to Frances Loeb, publisher of Lear’s magazine from 1956 to 1985. They separated in 1983, with her eventually receiving $112 million from Norman Lear in their divorce settlement. In 1987 he married his current wife, producer Lyn Davis. From his three marriages, Lear has six children.

ALSO, READ; Frances Lear- Truth About Norman Lear’s Ex-wife

Talking about her father’s longevity, Kate Lear, writer said, “But to me, Norman Lear’s longevity has just as much to do with his in-born optimism. This is a man who goes to bed each night dreaming of the cup of coffee he will have in the morning, who has lived a life in which each meal magically turns out to be better than the one before , and who has said, many times, that he doesn’t want to wake up the day that he doesn’t have hope.“