George Wheaton Pierce

George Wheaton Pierce was born January 2, 1919 in Big Timber, Montana to RB Hayes Pierce and Julia Grace Dykstra Pierce. At the age of 2 the family moved to Milton/Freewater, Oregon where they lived several years before moving to Grants Pass, Oregon where George finished his schooling. He worked in Coquille, Oregon at a plywood mill then at a shipyard in Portland, Oregon.

George was drafted into the Army Air Force November 7, 1942 and served his country until October 9, 1945. He was stationed at an air base near Norwich, England from March 1, 1944 until July 11, 1945. He worked in California, building houses, until he moved to Seattle, Washington in November 1948 and was employed at Boeing Aircraft. In Seattle he met Frances Rambo and they were married on May 6, 1950. Immediately after the wedding, the couple moved to Alaska where they spent 7 years at a remote salmon cannery at Tyee. There George worked as a diesel engineer and winter watchman. Two children were born to the couple while there: a son, Jim and a daughter, April. When the cannery closed in 1957, the couple moved to the Juneau area spending 3 years in the city, then moving to the small community of Auke Bay, 12 miles north of the city, where they lived the next 42 years. George worked in construction until the couple established their own rental business. In June of 2002 they retired and moved to Vancouver, Washington and wintered in the Palm Springs, California area until November 2009 when they moved full-time to Hillsboro, Oregon. In June of 2008, George suffered a stroke which left him with a balance problem and in February 2009 he suffered another more debilitating stroke. As a result he spent his last year in a adult foster home near where his wife resides.

George accepted the Lord at the age of 17 and was faithful to the end. He was the elder of the church that met in his home for 40 years.

George is survived by his wife of nearly 61 years of Hillsboro, Oregon; son, Jim, also of Hillsboro; daughter, April of Kelso, Washington; sisters, Grace Graham of Grants Pass, Oregon, Leona and husband Harold Nealon of Pleasant Hill, Oregon and Hazel Pierce of LaGrande, Oregon; nephews, Stan and wife Jan Ricks of Grants Pass, Dave Nealon of Portland, Oregon, Ken and wife Joanne Nealon of Sherwood, Oregon, and Mark Nealon of Long Beach, California; nieces, Jeannette Cook of Grants Pass, Oregon and Carol and husband Ron Stobbe of Pleasant Hill, Oregon; great nieces and nephews and a multitude of friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Joyce Pierce.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of George Pierce to: Housecall Providers Hospice, 4531 SE Belmont #250, Portland, OR 97215

Arrangements under the direction of Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, Portland, OR.