Ruth Dean Ford Pierce, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., passed away peacefully Tuesday, July 9, 2019 at Community Hospice & Palliative Care’s Warner Center for Caring in Fernandina Beach, Fla.
She was born July 12, 1929 at home in Worth County, Ga. and was the eldest daughter of the late Clement Anslem Evans Ford and Mary Agnes Rouse. She missed celebrating her 90th birthday by only three days.
The majority of her life was spent as a wonderful homemaker, wife, mother, and grandmother. The epitome of a Southern Lady, she was known for her grace, her gardens, and her ability to entertain family and friends as her husband, the late James L Pierce, built his CPA practice in Albany, Ga. An amazing cook and passionate advocate for healthy eating and exercise, she was truly an inspirational trailblazer. She was a member of First Methodist Church and active in Thronateeska NSDAR and The Charity League. In 1981, the Pierces moved from Albany to Fort Worth, Texas to welcome the birth of their first grandchild, Melissa, and another two years later, James. In 1987, they retired to Bribie Island, approximately an hour north of Brisbane in Australia, where, as she said, they enjoyed a 10-year vacation! After returning to the United States in the late-1990s, they briefly lived in St. Augustine, Fla. but relocated in 2002 to Boulder, Colo. to be near daughter Tina and family. After her husband died, she lived with Tina in the San Francisco Bay area and finally in Fernandina Beach. She first visited Fernandina in 1952 to meet the family as a new bride and fondly recalled that Sadler Road was paved with oyster shells!
She was preceded in death by her husband, James L Pierce; her mother-in-law, Ethyl Herring Pierce, a longtime Fernandina resident; her twin sisters, Dorothy Bowen and Doris Page; and her brothers-in-law, Malcolm Pierce and Gene Page.
She is survived by her daughter, Tina (Gary Patterson); granddaughter, Melissa Wilson (Mike Shull); grandson, James Wilson; sister-in-law, Barbara Pierce; brother-in-law, Wendell Bowen; and many nieces, nephews, and their families.
Graveside services will be held in Georgia in the future.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made in her name to to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida at communityhospice.com.
She was an extraordinary mother and grandmother whose smiles and laughter will be missed by the many who loved her.
Green Pine Funeral Home, Cremations & Cemetery