Patricia Sears

Patricia M. Sears is a Certified End-of-Life Doula and Death Literacy Specialist dedicated to transforming how individuals and families approach mortality — from crisis-driven fear to love-driven clarity. Through her practice, Graceful Transitions, she serves Vermont's Northeast Kingdom and clients nationwide, specializing in proactive death planning, advance care preparation, and compassionate support through all end-of-life transitions, including Medical Aid in Dying (MAID).

Patricia's work centers on the belief that death planning is fundamentally relational work requiring family-centered approaches. She targets the sandwich generation and Boomers, helping families engage in mortality conversations proactively rather than during a crisis. Her services include end-of-life doula support, vigil presence during active dying, family meeting facilitation, advance directive completion, and legacy work.

As a volunteer with Orleans Essex VNA's hospice program, Patricia provides companionship and respite care to hospice patients and their families. She leads fundraising efforts for the $3M Living Waters Hospice House capital campaign, working to establish Vermont's Northeast Kingdom's first dedicated hospice facility.

Patricia hosts the "In Conversation with an End-of-Life Specialist" podcast, featuring nationally recognized end-of-life leaders (booked through Q3 2026), publishes on Substack as "Graceful Transitions: An End-of-Life Doula," and writes "The Threshold" LinkedIn newsletter exploring death literacy, mortality education, and end-of-life planning. She facilitates the Legacy Leader's Guide program, teaching executives and business owners to apply strategic planning frameworks to end-of-life preparation.

Active within the national end-of-life community of practice, Patricia brings strategic facilitation expertise from her board leadership roles as Chair of NetZero VT, Treasurer of Vermont Humanities Council, and Board Member of the Center for Death Education. She is available for speaking engagements and workshops on death literacy, end-of-life planning, and creating death-positive community conversations.