PIERCE, George Vade

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona ~ 04/02/2013 George Vade Pierce, 91, of Show Low died Wednesday, March 27, 2013, at Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Show Low. He was born June 17, 1921, in Maquoketa, Iowa, to Wallace Vade and Bess (Manning), the oldest son raised on the family farm. Later, the family moved to Dixon, Ill., where he graduated from Dixon High School in 1940. He proudly joined the U.S. Army Air Corps (which later became the U.S. Air Force) in 1942 and served four years during World War II. Through childhood friends, he met and married Mary Alice (Myers) and they had seven children: Donald (Gayle), Peggy, Sureleigh (Leigh Silliphant), Carl, Nancy (Charles Berstler), Bobbie (Kathy), Laurie (Cliff Pryor). George and Mary moved their family to Tucson, where he became a proud member of the Carpenters Union Local #857. He was instrumental in helping build many PAT homes in the East Tucson area (1955-1975), he also worked on various projects at the University of Arizona, airport, power plants, bowling allies, Veterans hospital, malls, and he was thrilled to have helped build and rebuild movie sets at Old Tucson, where he had the honor to meet and have lunch with John Wayne. He was an avid deer hunter and led many expeditions with his sons, sons-in-law and family friends in the Chiricahua Mountains. After retirement, he and Mary decided to travel and ended up loving the White Mountains and called it their new home. They chose a lovely home that backed Fool Hollow Lake. He enjoyed walking to the lake daily with Mary and their dogs, fishing and collecting his beloved rocks to add to his vast collection. He proudly taught many of his grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a very special grand-niece how to fish. At one point, when officials were going to let Fool Hollow Lake go dry, he and Mary led the fight with local and state officials and won the battle to keep Fool Hollow Lake full and develop it into one of the premier campgrounds in the White Mountains. He was a wonderful and devoted husband. George and Mary enjoyed 69 very special years, and in the last two, as residents at Sierra Blanca, they were side by side holding hands wherever they went. He is survived by 14 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, very special nieces and their families. He was preceded in death by his parents, siblings Pauline Shear (Harold), Lucille Wells (Warren), Paul (Mary) Pierce and children Carl Wayne and Peggy Ann. Funeral services will begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, at Owens Livingston Mortuary - White Mountain Chapel, 320 N. Ninth St. in Show Low, where the visitation will begin one hour prior. The concluding service and interment will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, April 12, at South Lawn Memorial Park, 5401 S. Park Ave. in Tucson. George’s family is thankful for all the expressions of sympathy they have received and are especially grateful for all of the prayers offered up on their behalf. Owens Livingston Mortuary - White Mountain Chapel of Show Low handled arrangements. Those who have special memories and would like to send private condolences or sign an online guest book are invited to visit www.owenslivingstonmortuary.com.