Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff James Lear died as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Deputy Lear was a United States Army veteran and had served with the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office for seven years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Deputy Sheriff James Allan Lear died on December 10, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 43.
He is one of 884 officers honored here.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, four children, parents, and two brothers.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-B610A801- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew James. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Deputy Sheriff Lear gave the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Paw Paw community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Lear.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
James Allan Lear served in the Army (2005â2010) before joining law enforcement.
Deputy Sheriff James Allan Lear is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In MI, 23 of 718 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 3.2% of this state's fallen. That is 5.9 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Allan Lear's cause is highlighted.
How James Allan Lear Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. James Allan Lear is highlighted in Dec.