James William Pierce

Jim was born to the late George and Elizabeth Foster Pierce in East Sandwich on September 25th, 1943.

In his words, “If I ever did grow up, I did it in Sandwich” with guidance from uncle Bill Foster and his Quaker values while his father was away fighting in World War 2 and with the occupation army in Germany. Jim worked at Crow Farm, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and graduated as valedictorian of H.T. Wing H.S. class of 1961. Upon graduation he attended Worcester Polytechnical Institute, marrying Linda Chalmers September 8th of 1962 just before his sophomore year. After graduating WPI cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry he went on to Brown University where he would earn his PhD in chemistry in 1970.

Jim and Linda were married for over 38 years before breast cancer took her in November of 2000. They had three sons. Steven, born in 1963, died in infancy. David, born in 1964, is now retired after a twenty-five-year career in the U.S. Coast Guard where he earned the rank of Master Chief. He now resides in East Sandwich with his wife Barb where she works remotely as a business support specialist. Robert, born in 1970 is a graduate of the University of Oregon where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in geology and now operates his own business as an electrician. He also resides in East Sandwich with his wife Wendy, a teacher at Sandwich Middle High School.

After receiving his PhD Jim & family moved to Bedford, MA where he went to work for MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory as a research chemist and occasional guest lecturer on campus. At the end of that research project in 1977 he took a job in the same capacity with the DuPont Company in Niagara Falls, New York. In 1984 he was promoted to the position of Technical Manager, Europe and relocated the family to the town of Stevenage, England (near London). Another promotion a year later to Operations Manager, Europe involved managing five technical and manufacturing locations in France, Germany and the U.K. His European assignment afforded him the opportunity to “visit every major, and some not so major, countries in Europe.” He also took a trip to Moscow (then the capitol of the Soviet Union) which generated quite a few interesting stories. With son Dave off in the USCG saving lives and property Jim, Linda & Bob enjoyed great vacations in France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Egypt, Greece, Yugoslavia “before it imploded” and Turkey.

Jim never forgot the words that his first-grade teacher (name deleted) wrote on his report card, “Jimmy will not go far”. He sent her post cards from all over the world. That was dad, always the joker. Maybe that’s why she thought he wouldn’t go far?

When the DuPont Company brought Jim back to the US he was working out of Delaware where they “weren’t quite sure what to do with him”. He was appointed to the position of Research Manager, North America managing locations in New York, Delaware, North Carolina and Puerto Rico ”piling up the frequent flier miles” in the process. With Bob off to college Jim and Linda were transferred to North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park where he was promoted to Global Technology Manager managing eleven locations spread out over seven countries on three continents. He was mostly travelling to China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea supporting materials development for the first flat screen televisions. In 2000 he “annoyed someone important and reluctantly accepted a nice early retirement package” at the age of 57.

This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as he was able to dote on Linda during her battle with breast cancer. He then had to undergo his own successful treatment for prostate cancer. A move back to his childhood home on Spring Hill followed in 2002 where he spent his leisurely retirement enjoying the company of his grandchildren and battling with bull briars to reclaim the family land from its prickly grip.

In 2009 he “couldn’t stand prosperity“ so he successfully ran for and served two terms as a Sandwich Selectman followed by terms on the School Committee, Council on Aging Board of Directors and the Town Finance Committee. After everything he had accomplished in his professional career, he described this time of his life in town government as his proudest accomplishment.

After retiring from town government, he enjoyed devoting his time to his 25 fruit trees and vegetable garden often completely burying family, neighbors and tourists in produce.

*Quotations are loosely taken from an update that Jim wrote to the WPI Alumni newsletter in 2020. Jim replied to the association’s request for a bio/update saying, “Sure, I’ll give it a shot. I’m not expecting a need for an obit anytime soon, but this might help when the time comes”. It sure did help.

Jim is predeceased by his wife Linda, infant son Steven, sister Linda, step-mother Frances and his namesake nephew James Doucette.

He is survived by his sisters Susan Doucette and “Pudge” her husband, Lori Pierce, brother George, sister-in-law Kathy Chalmers, his Foster family cousins Carol, William, Nancy and Austin, grandchildren Cameron Lee, Meghan Elizabeth, Andrew Kistler, William Eric and his namesake grandson Benjamin James Pierce.

There will be a drop in at the home of Robert and Wendy at 12 Foster Rd. in East Sandwich from noon until 2:00pm on Saturday September 23rd followed by a family spreading of ashes at Spring Hill beach.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the William Foster and Elizabeth Pierce Scholarship Fund that benefits Sandwich High School students continuing higher learning in law enforcement or education fields of study or donations can be made to pancreatic cancer research.

-R.W. Pierce (with lots of help)