On April 16, the Lord chose our loving, vivacious Dee to celebrate the Easter triumph with Him and the many loved ones that have gone before her.
Dee joined our Lord at sunrise on Easter morning thus ending her suffering brought on by the affliction of Alzheimer's. She was a fighter to the end and never lost recognition of her loved ones.
She was lovingly known by many as Miss Dee. With a life so full, it is hard to know where to start and impossible include her many adventures. She truly loved life and shared her contagious smile with everyone she met.
Dee married young to a handsome Navy man, Hal Pierce. Her first job was with the Navy at Great Lakes Naval station. Later she worked at the Military Sea Lift Command when Hal was stationed in Washington D.C.
Dee was the emblem Navy wife and mom to hundreds of sailors. She followed Hal throughout the many adventures of his naval career and continued by his side as he contributed his time and talents to the communities of Mobile and Baldwin counties.
In Mobile, she and Captain Hal, aka Sea Lord of Mobile, hosted many visiting ships. The ships that were annually honored at Mobile Mardi Gras knew her well. She helped Captain Hal ensure that the officers and crew participated in parades, society balls and enjoyed the festivities of the season.
While Hal loved the sea, Dee loved the air. She devoted most of her life to the airline industry. She loved Eastern Airlines with a passion that outlasted the airline. Dee helped thousands of people travel the world and promoted Eastern Airlines as if it she owned it.
She worked for several other airlines and retired at 81 working for the Mobile Airport Authority. To many, she was the smiling face at the airport, helping them with their travel plans and welcoming them home after their long journeys.
Dee also worked logistics for the Corps of Engineers, coordinating the travel arrangements for Army executives and engineers in Region 4. She was a master at handling the needs and requirements of the Corps when hurricanes hit our shores. Dee had a cool head and could manage most anything that came her way.
Everyone loved Dee! She knew no strangers and knew no limits in helping others. Dee was the matriarch of her large family of seven brothers and sisters, their spouses, many nieces and nephews.
Most precious to her, were her beautiful grandsons, Nicholas and Alexander. Dee was always there to mentor her own children, Scott and Jennifer, and welcomed their spouses, Jean and Frank, as one of her own. She helped care for her parents and supported her Aunt Ruth in her time of need.
Dee loved The Lord. She taught Sunday school, confirmation classes and led a life that exemplified a good Christian woman.
She supported her family in many ways, including Rainbow Girl mom, Eagle Scout mom, Little League mom, band mom, Auburn mom and Beta Sigma Phi Sorority member.
Dee's favorite pastime included a variety of sports. At one time she was a successful huntress and camper. Baseball, tennis, and golf (later in life) were among her preferred sports. But her greatest sports love was football and her greatest love in football was AUBURN!!! WAR EAGLE!! Both Jenny and Scott attended Auburn.
Mobile's Mardi Gras season was Dee's specialty. Her gowns were spectacular. She would often travel to New York or Houston for that one-of-a-kind dress.
In her younger years, Hal and Dee attended 10 or more balls during the season. The Bienville Club was home base, and she made sure all the employees had parade goodies. She was "vicious" when it came to catching throws, only to share them with everyone and especially the children.
We celebrate Dee's lifelong journey from the loving arms of her family to the Kingdom of Heaven. She has left us with delightful memories. In 85 years, "lived life to the fullest every moment, laughed often and loved with a passion beyond words."
Dee is survived by her husband, Capt. Hal Pierce; two children, Scott Pierce and wife, Jean, and Jennifer Jo and husband, Frank Veronsky; grandchildren, Nicholas and Alexander Veronsky; sisters, Judy Blezek, Debbie Flood, Pat Beall; brothers, James, Kenton and Dennis along with their spouses; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Irene Beall; her beloved sister, Anita Breaux; and her dear Aunt Ruth.
We bid farewell to Dee with a Life Celebration Ceremony to be held May 3 at Christ United Methodist Church, her beloved church for many years of her life and particularly the last years. Christ United is located at 6101 Grelot Road in Mobile.
The family will receive friends at the church at 11 a.m. and the service at noon.
She will be interred during a private family ceremony at the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort prior to the Life Celebration Service.
In lieu of flowers, the family request expressions of condolence are made to the Cure Alzheimer's Fund or Christ United Methodist Church.
The link for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund will take you directly to her memorial page: http://www.curealz.org/in-memory/dee-pierce. The link for Christ United Methodist Church: http://www.christumcmobile.com.
Arrangements by Hughes Funeral Home in Daphne, Alabama, www.hughesfh.com.
