Edward Stanley Pierce

Edward S. Pierce Edward S. Pierce, beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away Wednesday, September 3, 2008, at St. Luke's Magic Valley after a brief fight with an aggressive cancer. Ed was born August 4, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois, to Edward and Estelle. He married high school heartthrob Beatrice on January 29, 1955, and together they raised two children, Jorry "Jay" Pierce and Carleen (Joe) Herring. Ed spent the majority of his professional life working as an engineer for the Andrew Corporation based in Orland Park, Illinois. Over the course of 30-plus years, the job took him around the world from Saudi Arabia to the outback of Australia, from the Alaska pipeline to the shadow of the Taj Mahal in India. He brought back wonderful stories (and presents) from countless far-flung places. Ed and Bea loved to travel and she joined him in Greece to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. A love for the outdoors was one of Ed's passions spanning the decades from his early days leading a Boy Scout troop in Orland to keeping him busy in retirement. Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons were among the special places that helped draw Ed to the west when he left Andrew Corp. Once in Idaho, retirement did not sit well, so Ed worked for the Grand Targhee Ski Resort driving shuttle between the airport in Jackson and the Resort outside Driggs. His enthusiasm for the area and natural ability to talk to people earned him the state's highest award for individual impact on tourism in 1994. Most recently, camping and fishing were among the activities that filled his free time, and he and Bea returned just a few weeks ago from their favorite spot on Stanley Lake. Ed served in the Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway (1949-1953) with worldwide ports of call that may have fueled his love of travel and adventure. Surviving Ed are his wife of 53 years Bea; son Jorry; daughter Carleen; son-in-law Joe; and granddaughter Abigail. Also left behind are sisters Bea (Harry) Hanson of Griffith, Indiana, and Delores (Frank) Corbett of Chicago; brothers Ernest (late Mary-Ellen) of Bullshoals, Arkansas, and John (Annette) of Sparta, Missouri; sister-in-law Geraldine (late Edward) Kurowski of Chicago; as well as many nieces and nephews. A visitation will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, September 7, at Parke's Magic Valley, 2551 Kimberly Road in Twin Falls. An open house will begin at 5 p.m. at the home of Bea Pierce, 227 University Drive in Twin Falls.