Duane Marshall Pierce, 77, passed away Wednesday, February, 18, 2012 in Abilene. Visitation will be from 6 till 8 PM, Friday, February 10, 2012 at Elmwood Funeral Home, 5750 Hwy 277 South. Funeral service will be at 2 PM, Saturday, February, 11, 2012 in the Elmwood Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow the service in Elmwood Memorial Park’s, Garden of Hope.
Duane Marshall Pierce, born on a rural farm in Parma, Idaho on July 15, 1934 to Marshall and Reta Pierce, who were farmers. Duane is the youngest of 4 children. Duane attended Parma schools, graduating from Parma High School in 1952, where he was an All State Football Player. He attended Boise Jr. College (now Boise State University) on a football scholarship. He married his high school sweetheart Betty Vandermeer in June of 1953 in Parma.
In 1954, he began a long, lifetime career in the furniture industry in Boise, Idaho. He then moved to Pocatello where his family resided before a move to Rapid City, South Dakota and then to Abilene, TX. He was a member of #95 A.F. and A.M. Portneuf Masonic Lodge in Pocatello, Idaho. He held many offices in International Lions Clubs. He was a league officer and coach of Dixie Little League and numerous senior leagues in Abilene and also did some umpiring.
Duane moved his family to Abilene in the fall of 1969 with Thornton’s Department Store, where he was in charge of the home furnishings department for 9 years. In 1978, he became a Sales Representative for several different U.S. furniture manufacturers travelling throughout the Texas / New Mexico territory. In 1993, he opened his first retail furniture store in Abilene called Warehouse Furniture. He eventually grew to stores in Brownwood, San Angelo, Snyder, Sweetwater and 4 stores in Abilene. He was Chief Financial Officer of Pierce Furniture, Inc. (Gallery Furniture) until the summer of 2009 when he retired. Duane has been a long time member of First Central Presbyterian Church in Abilene, the Abilene Country Club, and National Retailers Furniture Association.
As a young man, Duane was an avid fisherman and hunter and was a sports enthusiast his entire life. Everyone who knew Duane knew he was passionate about his work, but also was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. In spite of many health problems in past and recent years, he maintained an upbeat and always positive attitude.
He has 5 children, Robert (Bob) of Tampa, FL, Joseph (Joe) of Abilene and wife, Jeanne, Scott and wife, Gayle of Plano, TX, Anne and partner, Gilles of Abilene, Thomas (Tom) and wife, Kim of Emory, TX; ten grand children; one great grandchild; five step grandchildren; two sisters living in Idaho, Betty Johnston Kautz of Parma, Genevia Poletti of Boise, as well as several nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his brother, Marvin Pierce of San Diego, CA; and his parents.
Special “Thanks” are given to Dr. Carl Trussler, and all his nurses and caregivers of Hospice of the Big Country (Tammy, Julie, and Pam) and Patsy Hood of Home Instead, all of whom he graciously greeted and remembered until the very end.
The family requests donations in lieu of flowers to Hospice of the Big Country, Meals on Wheels, or Medical Mission of Abilene.
Online condolences and memories may be shared with the family through the obituary link at www.elmwoodfuneral.com.