It might be something else, but there is a bacteria that affects pear, and other fruit trees, called 'fire blight' so you might want to do an internet search and see if the symtoms match.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fire blight ...

There is something called Texas cotton rot also that affect fruit trees. I lost several pears to it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tx Cotton Root Rot

Well... it looks a lot like the Fire Blight. The advice for treatment makes me think it is doomed. Trim all the brown - oh my, the tree is HUGELY tall and the ends of all the branches are affected.

Guess I'll have to check the cost to treat it vs. take it down.

Do you know if Fire Blight is likely to spread to nearby trees? There is one that is essentially touching it - a crape myrtle. Losing the pear wouldn't be the end of the world -but the crape myrtle is a fantastic Natchez with a huge canopy...