Richard Earl Pierson's Obituary
of Gainesville and Lewisville, Texas, passed away peacefully on Friday morning, February 29, 2008, in Lewisville, Texas. Dick was a kind, gentle man of exemplary character, the ultimate model of a decent and well rounded man. He was loved and admired by all who knew him and he will be greatly missed. He had a wide range of interests and accomplishments in the arts, sciences,politics, and sports, but his greatest love was his wife Anna Wade. He recently said, “She was not an important part of my life – she WAS my life.” After her death, his smile, wit,and exuberance for life were never the same. Dick was a quietly dedicated Christian man. He saw the best in everyone and never said an unkind word about anyone. We are all blessed by the example of the high moral standard he lived. He was chairman of the Boy Scout Committee, setting the ndard for character, leadership and morality. He was Chairman of the Board and Elder at the United Christian Church in Country Club Hills, IL, Financial Secretary at Whaley United Methodist Church in Gainesville, and a member of the Men’s Golf Association at Lake Kiowa.Dick loved the West Virginia hills and the Elk River where he lived from birth through high school. He loved electronics, learned Morse code to earn his general operators license, and built a ham radio from scratch. In Denver he earned a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from Colorado School of Mines and was a member of Sigma PhiEpsilon fraternity. He had along, successful career with Amoco Oil in Fort Worth, Brownsville, Hammond, IN, Chicago and Joliet, IL. As a registered professional engineer his chief contribution at Amoco was the development of a formula to maximize profit for refinery processes. He retired from Amoco in 1975. In Richardson he joined Wasco as a principal and chiefengineer. Dick and Anna Wade moved to Lake Kiowa, TX in 1984 where they had wonderful friends and played many rounds of golf and tennis. He loved the game of golf. In all the places he lived, he was an active member of Toastmasters, Kiwanis, and church choirs. He had a beautiful baritone voice. He loved building and flying model airplanes. He built a personal computer before the commercial introduction of PCs. Dick was a lifelong member of the Republican Party and engaged in Republican politics. He had a great interest in genealogy and documenting his family’s history in West Virginia. He was a great Dallas Cowboys fan. He served with the Volunteer Fire Department at Lake Kiowa. Dick lived life to the fullest and inspired us all with his wisdom and great character. Dick was born to Commodore Pierson and Bertha Stoffel, in Elkview, WV on January 7, 1918. He is predeceased by his loving wife, Anna Wade Tarkington Pierson. Survivors are his son Richard Earl Pierson, Jr. and wife Kathy, of Laughlin, NV, daughter Donna Suzanne Pierson of Denver, CO, (children by first wife Ellenor White Pierson) and Brian Wade Pierson and wife Janna, of Guthrie, OK; step-children Ann Elliott Gibbs of Houston, TX, and Lawrence Cameron Elliott of Coppell, TX; sisters Elogene Pierson Robinson, and Lois Pierson Burnett; brother William Stoffel Pierson. He was predeceased by his sister Elizabeth Pierson Huff. Dick is also survived by grandchildren Chamois Pierson Andersen, Sage Pierson, Shannon Gibbs Houlihan, Ashley Dianne Gibbs, Shana Pierson Bench, Brandon Wade Pierson, and Douglas Powell Pierson. Great-grandchildren are Marie Christine Andersen, Makenna Janna Bench, and Hayden Jackson Houlihan.
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