Robert Lawrence Pear (June 12, 1949 – May 7, 2019) was an American journalist based in Washington, D.C., who worked at The Washington Star from 1974 to 1979 before joining The New York Times in 1979, where he was employed until his death.
[3] Pear was a classmate of future Democratic senator Chuck Schumer at Harvard University, where he earned the nickname "the deacon" for his manners and studiousness.
[5] His output has been described as "meticulous" and "authoritative" by other journalists, who praised his work in the field of health care policy reporting.
[3] Articles written by Pear were closely watched by Washington politicians.
[3] Pear died aged 69 on May 7, 2019, in his home in Rockville, Maryland, from complications of a stroke.