Marilyn J. Pierce

Marilyn "Bugga" Pierce, beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, and all-around general celebrity, died peacefully in her home on January 12th, 2023, just shy of 95 years old. Despite having joked each year for more than a decade that that specific year would "be her last birthday," it seems that, indeed, 2022 was her final birthday celebration here with us.

Marilyn was well known for many things and by many names in her long life. Born to Grover and Myrtle Marie (Savage) Long in February of 1928, she grew up in Fort Wayne as the only daughter of the Long family and sister to John "Jack" Long. After attending Nebraska elementary, she earned the title of North Side Redskin upon her graduation (class of 1946).

In 1947, Marilyn added another title to her list when she married Kenneth Pierce of Oberlin, Kansas. Together with her husband, she welcomed three sons. Their three sons, Richard, Bill, and Tim, kept Marilyn busy on their journey from infancy into adulthood. Between school, sports, band, cub scouts, sibling shenanigans, and the general mischief the Pierce family is known for, Marilyn also had various careers, including working at WOWO and Kresge Warehouse before ultimately joining and eventually retiring from Lincoln Foodservice Manufacturing in the late 80's. During her illustrious career at Lincoln, Marilyn navigated being a focused and professional working woman in a time when women were frequently relegated to secretarial work in the corporate world. She would often say that she did the jobs of a whole team of people, and for those lucky enough to have known her, there was no doubt that that was true. Marilyn was a world-traveling woman on a mission, and she rarely let anything stand in her way.

However, the role in which Marilyn arguably shined brightest was that of grandmother. "Bugga" was officially born when her oldest granddaughter struggled with saying "Grandma." The moniker stuck, not only amongst her grandchildren and their families but for most people she would come to know from then forward. Whether someone was related or a friend she met along the way, she quickly became everyone's Bugga.

Not too terribly long after the death of her husband, Marilyn sold her house in Fort Wayne and moved out to the countryside with her middle son, Bill, and his family. As a retiree living the country life, Bugga could frequently be found cooking, gardening, or happily reading outside in the sunlight. Despite moving out to the countryside and enjoying its simple pleasures, Bugga's life barely slowed down. Frequently, Bugga could still be spotted driving back and forth into Fort Wayne, where she attended Church services, aquafitness classes, lunch with cousins, and visited her many grandchildren. In addition to all these other activities, Bugga still found time for one of her favorite pastimes--shopping. Bugga became a master of finding a deal and would frequently walk to her car with a cartful of purchases that the store practically paid her to take. She then would drive around town and distribute all her goodies to those who could use them. Legend is that Bugga's masterful couponing skills single-handedly led to the eventual demise of the illusive double and triple coupon policies for many of our local grocery stores.

When she wasn't residing in Grabill, Bugga could be found traveling the country and visiting with friends and family. She spent many years splitting her time between staying in her house with Bill and staying with Rich and his family in Georgia. When her first daughter-in-law (Cindy) became ill with cancer, Bugga quickly jumped into action and assisted in the day-to-day office operations of their family-owned business. Between answering the phone and placing orders, Bugga and Cindy would spend time together, frequently engaging in heated games of Scrabble that would last for hours.

From her first grandchild's birth to that of her last great-grandchild, Bugga couldn't have been prouder of every last one of them. She was their biggest cheerleader and their most fierce protector. During her five decades in the role of Grandma, Bugga impacted so many lives. She baked countless cookies, attended hundreds of significant events, and gave out pearls of wisdom. Some of her classics included: "It's only money,"; "Calories don't count if no one is looking,"; "Everything is better with chocolate!"; "Only dogs get mad."; "Better you than me!"; "Oh HUH"; "It's just a game!' and "We're going on an adventure!". However, her Bugga-ing skills and talents did not stop at dispensing nuggets of verbal wisdom.

Bugga was so many things to many people--- a driving instructor, a scrabble opponent, a patient teacher, a cooking instructor, a travel buddy, a confidant, a partner-in-crime, a personal stylist, a role model, a shoulder to cry on, and a best friend. Her phone rang with people calling to share exciting news about proposals, pregnancies, promotions, and other daily celebrations. It also rang with people who needed advice, a shoulder to cry on, or who help out of a bad situation. Regardless of the reason someone reached out to Bugga, they were guaranteed to find one thing: unconditional love and support. Bugga knew the value of family and connection and wasn't afraid to remind others that connections are the most valuable thing in this world (well, that and chocolate).

As the years went on, Bugga's adventures kept her a little closer to home, but she was quick to reassure anyone that felt sad or bad about this fact that she was very content. Her home was warm, dry, and filled with pictures and memories of a life full of love, laughter, adventure, and rich experiences. She had done everything she wanted to do in her life and had no regrets. She was well taken care of and had everything she needed right there. She had the love and support of her family and a seemingly never-ending supply of chocolate and coffee. She was happy.

Given her lengthy journey here with us, she is preceded in death by many people, including her mother (Marie), her father (Grover), her brother (Jack), her daughter-in-law Cindy (Matter) Pierce, numerous cousins, most everyone she worked with in her various careers, and of course, Betty White--who Bugga quoted as being "still so young, how tragic!". Her sons survive her: Richard (Diane) Pierce of Sweetwater, Tennesee; Bill (Kikie) Pierce of Grabill, Indiana; and Tim (Jan) Pierce of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Her grandchildren also survive her: Heather (Walt) Murray of Kennesaw, Georgia; Brian (Liz) Pierce of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Wesley (Leslie) Pierce of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; Nikia Pierce of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Gabriel (Shelby) Pierce of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Mandie (Matt) Foss of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Cassandra (Justin) Brown of Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Morgan Pierce of Fort Worth, Texas. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren Anna-Kate (Mason) Mahaney, Grant Cartwright, James Pierce, Charlotte Pierce, Sophia Pierce, Samuel Pierce, Domonik Pierce, Dayveon Pierce, Layton Pierce, Kaiyah Pierce, Levi Pierce, Tye Pierce, Luke Foss, Breidon Pierce, and Kendall Mowery.

In place of a traditional (somber) funeral, Bugga's final wish was to have a joyous Celebration of Life party filled with laughter, stories, love, and family. Following those wishes, her three sons and their families are hosting a Celebration of Life party on Saturday, May 27th, 2023, in the Monroeville park pavilion in Monroeville, Indiana. The party will start in the early afternoon, at approximately 2 pm, and go into the evening. If you would like more detailed information, you can contact any of her sons or their families. In place of flowers, her family asks you to donate to a charity of your choice in her name to continue her generous legacy.

There will also be a Memorial Service held on her birthday, February 24th, 2023, at the Anthony Wayne Area Council in Fort Wayne at 5:30 pm. If you want more information about this memorial, you can contact Brian Pierce or Heather Murray.