Frances Lear (July 14, 1923, Hudson, New York – September 30, 1996, Manhattan) was an activist, magazine publisher and writer. She was the wife of television producer Norman Lear. After her 1985 divorce, Lear used her $112 million settlement to start Lear's, a magazine targeting women over 40. The magazine folded six years later. She was believed to be the inspiration for the character Maude Findlay on the sitcom Maude. Lear died due to breast cancer.
