poetie - because you included the Ask the Yard Doctor forum with your posting choices, no one is able to respond to your post. Inclusion of that particular forum prevents any comments being made.....for some bizarre reason.

You might want to try reposting with just the Fruit and Orchards forum. Cross posting is NOT a requirement and IMO, just complicates postings.

As to the disease issue, it could be that your pears are being subject to fireblight. Of any fruits, they are extremely prone and the damage can be very widespread. But without photos of the problem, that cannot be confirmed.

Personally I would not bother with grafting, as you will have to wait a considerable time before the grafts produce fruits as well. And the scions could be just as susceptible to the disease, if indeed it is fireblight. Instead, I would just plant some new trees that are known to be disease resistant.