Pinpoint Holdings Mourns Board Member Bill Lear

Pinpoint Holdings said board member William S. “Bill” Lear died Oct. 11 at 84, leaving behind a long career in banking, finance and education. The company said Lear helped guide its rural Nebraska fiber expansion and will be honored with a donation to the Northwestern Memorial Foundation.

Why it matters: - Lear served on the Pinpoint Holdings board for 16 years and helped steer the company during a period of expansion in rural Nebraska. - His background in banking, capital markets and corporate finance gave Pinpoint access to high-level strategic guidance as the company grew its fiber-to-the-home network. - Pinpoint plans to make a donation to the Northwestern Memorial Foundation in Lear’s memory.

What happened: - Pinpoint Holdings announced the death of board member William S. “Bill” Lear, who died Oct. 11, 2026, at age 84, surrounded by his family. - Lear joined the Pinpoint Holdings Board of Directors in 2010. - Pinpoint Holdings is the parent company of Pinpoint Fiber and Cambridge Telephone Company. - Tom Shoemaker, Pinpoint Holdings president and CEO, described Lear as a close friend to the company and praised his ability to simplify complex capital and strategy issues.

The details: - Lear was born July 1, 1942, in Pittsburgh. - He earned an undergraduate degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. - Lear served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. - He spent five years in investment banking at Hornblower & Weeks–Hemphill, Noyes. - He later spent more than 20 years at The First National Bank of Chicago, where he became America’s first commercial banker to China. - Lear co-founded The Chicago Corporation. - He later served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of BioSafe Medical Technologies, where he raised nearly $20 million for a diagnostic laboratory. - He advised small and mid-sized companies at Bridge Investment Corporation and as a senior advisor with FOCUS Investment Banking. - Lear also taught at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and served as vice chairman of Athena Global Energy Solutions. - His community service included 12 years as a National Trustee of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, service as co-president of the Harvard Business School Club of Chicago, and board roles with the Better Government Association and Friends of Prentice at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. - Lear ran the Boston Marathon and trekked to Everest. - Pinpoint described him as known for his optimism and a trademark enthusiastic “Yay!” - Lear is survived by his wife, Sharon; his children, Peter M. Lear, Merritt Lear Beck and Anna S. Lear; and his brother, Andrew R. Lear. - Pinpoint said Lear’s memory and legacy will be honored through a donation to the Northwestern Memorial Foundation.

Between the lines: - The announcement emphasizes Lear’s role as both a financial adviser and a cultural presence on the board, suggesting his impact went beyond technical expertise. - Pinpoint’s tribute ties his personal energy and public service to the company’s own identity as a rural broadband builder.

What’s next: - Pinpoint’s memorial donation will go to the Northwestern Memorial Foundation. - The company is likely to continue its fiber expansion without one of its longest-serving outside advisers.

The bottom line: - Lear’s death closes a long chapter for Pinpoint Holdings, which credits him with helping guide its growth while bringing discipline, optimism and deep finance experience to the board.