Olga Vera (Klimovich) Sears

Olga Vera Klimovich Sears, teacher, traveler, homemaker, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, died at her apartment at Sunrise at Bluemont in Arlington, Virginia on April 14, 2026.

She celebrated her 98th birthday on February 27. A lifelong Michigan resident, she moved to Arlington “temporarily” 18 months ago to be closer to her sons and their families.

Born on February 27, 1928 in Albion, Michigan to Nicholas Klimovich and Efresynia “Rose” Palchun. Olga Vera Klimovich grew up in Albion, graduating from Washington Gardner High School and Albion College (B.A. 1950). She also attended Bay View Albion Summer College, University of Michigan and Western Michigan University.

Olga met her husband Myron “Mike” Sears while teaching in Bay City; they married in Albion and spent the early years of their marriage there until moving with their sons Steve and Tim to Jackson, Michigan. In retirement she spent her winters in Venice, Florida near her son Steve and his family for more than twenty years.

During their marriage and beyond, Olga taught, made a home, sang, volunteered, and traveled. She taught in Bay City, Albion and T.A. Wilson in Jackson and trained new teachers. She sailed, golfed, played shuffleboard, bicycled, cross-stitched, and baked. Olga traveled and camped extensively throughout the United States and Canada. She also visited many countries including Russia, Pakistan, Finland, India, Belize, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Olga was proud of her sons and their accomplishments, especially their families. Her legendary scrapbooks of trips, visits, family genealogy and more captured summer travels to national parks; swimming at Ramblers or the YMCA; cookie baking and cupcake sessions; fishing forays; and family dinners with Uncle Jake’s chili and porcupine meatballs. Off camera were root beer floats and pie and Rhubarb Dream, rides on borrowed bikes and trikes, hours playing in the basement or on the carpet with cars; enjoying carefully labelled care packages on long trips and building gingerbread house kits mailed overseas, arriving in time for Christmas.

She is predeceased by her husband, parents and Uncle Peter Klimovich. Survivors include sons Steven R. Sears (Lyn Sears), Dade City, Florida and Tim Sears (Kelley Coyner), Arlington, Virginia, and six grandchildren: Derek Sears (Christine Graziano), Tampa, Florida; Jill Sears (Juan Osorio), Norfolk, Virginia; Colleen Sears, Tampa, Florida; Sarah Sears (James Hughes) Portland, Oregon; Claire Sears, Richmond, Virginia; Andrew Sears, Arlington, Virginia. She is also survived by her sister Jennie Klimovich, Porter Centerville, Ohio, and sister Nikki Slagle, Comstock Park, Michigan, as well as a nephew Blair Porter (Angela Porter), Waynesville, Ohio and niece Marsha Porter, Atlanta, Georgia.

Services will be held at St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church, Falls Church, Virginia. Burial will be in Albion, Michigan. The family will receive friends following the service. In lieu of flowers, Mrs. Sears asked that memorials be directed to your favorite charity or the University of Michigan Cancer Center.