Used to 'shake' a huge pear tree years ago, that grew at least 35 feet tall. All the lower branches were gone years ago too. They would be small, and are maybe Seckel pears which tend to be small and quite hard. You can pich them once a few start falling off and they are a little softer (not bruised however). They can be peeled and cored and canned in a light syrup. Once processed they will soften some anyway, so the hard ones will usually hold their shape a little better. You might want to apply a good quality fruit tree fertilizer like the two Gardsn Alive fruit tree ferts (build up first, the maintenance formula). The same fert can be applied to red raspberries for bigger crops too. My dad planted a dwarf pear that had black sooty fungus on all the leaves and dropped all its small fruit and leaves at the same time, just after I manually pollinated it that spring. I had to dig it up and destroy it after that as it just would not survive another fungal attack. In its place I have Asian pears.

Thanks for the information - I'll try canning a few this year and follow-up with the fertilizer. It's the only fruit tree left from my Grandfather and I'd like to save it if I can.

Being as tall as it is, I would try a few light prunings to the top so you may be able to get some new growth lower on the trunk. The one I recall was very old, probably a 100 years or more, and was never kept up. Luckily, nearby was an old asphalt tennis court that was all overgrown for many years, and acted like a barrier for other tall growth. Suggest you also prune a few of the top most branches this fall about leaf drop time. Watch for new growth buds down below early next spring and before they pop open, cut a bit more off the tops. Then let it grow to its fullness. Then do this again next year the same way with any other very tall branches. It may just need to be a bit shorter so you an pick easier. A fertilizer and plenty of water are very helpful. That fruit tree fertilzer I mentioned contains BORON, so NEVER use it anywhere else but for fruit trees. To aid in getting sweeter fruits add a bit of lime to the soil too. Between the two, you will have bigger juicier and maybe even sweeter pears, like those long ago.. Pear trees can last longer than us! Peach, on the other hand have about 20 years and then go.