Shirley Elizabeth Adams Pierce

Shirley Elizabeth Adams Pierce lived 103 vital, spirited, loving years on this earth. Her soul left us December 21, 2021, due to complications of breakthrough Covid, but her heart will remain a part of all who knew her. With patience, love and grace, she found her path to God through the Catholic Church that she embraced almost 80 years ago. She took loving care of her husband Jack for 55 years and instilled in each of her six children the fortitude and inspiration to face the many highways and byways of adulthood. She was a steadfast and loving Grammy to her eight grandchildren, and a proud GG to her 11 great-grandchildren. Shirley’s other great treasure was her astounding group of so many dear women friends. Her 50-odd years in P.E.O. Chapter Y in Prescott, Arizona and P.E.O. Chapter W when she lived for six years in Tucson, AZ provided Shirley, an only child, with an active group of sisters and an even wider gaggle of buddies, many of whom battled it out with her at bridge tables for precious pennies up until the last days of October, 2021. Shirley’s mind was as sharp as the proverbial tack. She was excited about and wanted to be involved in all of her family’s wide range of journeys. Her constant joy throughout her life was jazz and classical music. Shirley’s keen wit and ability to laugh at herself kept her sparkling and ever young, and, most importantly for her, always as independent a woman as she could possibly be until the very end. She was always very organized and well put together and it’s such a cliché, but for those who knew her, Shirley Pierce lived each day to her fullest. No one, but no one, could believe she was 100, then 101, then 102, then 103 (including her own doctors!). The former Shirley Adams was born in Oak Park, Illinois, May 13, 1918, to George and Mildred Canary Adams. She graduated from Oak Park River Forest High School in 1935. Something alluring and adventurous about the Southwest attracted her, and she was able to convince her parents to allow her to take a train from Chicago to Tucson to attend the University of Arizona. There she met life-long friends at her Delta Gamma sorority, and discovered her future husband, Jack Pierce, a mining engineering major from Patagonia, Arizona. The two married in 1938, and almost immediately Jack’s career took them back and forth across the country. John was born in 1939 followed by George in 1943 in Carlsbad, New Mexico. During Jack’s World War II work in Oak Ridge Tennessee, Shirley was busy with a third son, Charles, arriving in 1946. A new job took Shirley and Jack to Albuquerque, NM, where Pam was born in 1949 and Steve just 11 months later in 1950. With 5 young kids in tow, the Pierces settled in a 70-year-old Victorian house in small-town Belvidere, New Jersey, in 1951, where Jeff was born in 1960. Shirley provided all her children the quintessential 1950’s childhood, utilizing that great motherly balance of the Golden Rule of “Do Unto Others” while guiding their choices and trusting in their independence as the children grew and thrived. Rejoining public life and service in 1958, she was the first woman ever to be elected to the Belvidere School Board. She called this her “one moment of fame.” But as with all true givers, her “moments of fame” weren’t trophies and plaques, but simply to be engraved on the hearts of all who were privileged enough to be in her life. Jack’s next employer, Shattuck Denn Mining in New York City, offered him the position of Superintendent of the Iron King Mine in Humboldt, Arizona. Shirley and the kids followed him out in 1964 and she plunged immediately into Prescott community life. She served with the Pink Lady aide association at Yavapai Regional Medical Center, serving as president for two years and as a member of the Hospital Board. Shirley also served as a liturgical minister at Sacred Heart Parish for many years. Her active involvement with P.E.O. and the cross generational friendships was always a treasured part of her life. After Jack’s death in 1993, she continued on by caring for her family as they spread out far and wide, and most holidays were “Prescott Holidays.” She moved to Prescott Lakes Apartments and lived there for 18 years while remaining active in all her outside work and interests. She traveled widely, cared for her patio gardens, read hundreds of books and welcomed family and friends into her cozy home. Shirley’s entire family is so grateful to son Steve, retired Prescott science teacher and coach, and his wife, Laura, long-time Prescott RN, for their devoted care-giving, especially throughout the last two decades, with great attention to all her needs and wants. But it was truly Shirley’s resilience that was remarkable in her final days. And she is, in this holiday season, delivering her great century-old gift of her special, indomitable energy to us all. Shirley was preceded in death by her dear husband Jack, and by her beloved son Charles, who died at the age of 74 in 2020 from Covid complications as well. She is survived by sons John and wife Becky of La Mesa, California, George and wife Margaret of Bellingham, Washington, Steve and wife Laura of Prescott, Jeff and wife Cindy of Tucson, and daughter Pam Pierce and her partner, Ira Abrams of Coupeville, Washington. She is also survived by grandchildren, Tobias Pierce (Nikki), Schuyler Pierce, Kate Davis (Matt), Christopher Pierce (Hannah), Rose Tweit (Jessy), Justin Pierce (Rachael), Kevin Hussey (Reagan), and Casey Abrams, along with 11 great grandchildren, and her cousin, Anthony Turpin, of Coupeville, WA. Due to Covid precautions, there will be a private family mass and funeral in January. A memorial website for Shirley where friends and family can celebrate her life with thoughts, photos and remembrances is at www.HamptonFuneralHome.com/obituaries. Condolences and cards may be sent c/o Steven Pierce, 6830 N. Bridlepath, Prescott, AZ 86305. In lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful for donations in Shirley Pierce's name to St. Vincent de Paul Society, 120 N. Summit, Prescott, AZ 86301.

Shirley Elizabeth Adams Pierce

May 13, 1918 - December 21, 2021