We regret to advise of the death of Lieutenant John Gourley Pierce, MC (Ret’d) on 10 May 2003 in Peterborough ON at the age of 85 years.
John was born in Pembroke ON. He graduated from Queen’s University Kingston ON in 1941 with a B.Sc. in Engineering and joined the Royal Canadian Engineers. He served with the 12th Field Company, in Italy and Northwest Europe. He was awarded the Military Cross for bravery during days leading the breaking of the Hitler Line during the Liri Valley Campaign. See the Citation and background story here.
After the war, John returned to Canada and joined his father’s Land Survey & Engineering firm and obtained his certificate as an Ontario Land Surveyor (OLS). His father’s firm carried out the survey of the entire Manitoba-Ontario border between the USA border and Hudson Bay. The last 160 miles to Hudson Bay was surveyed during the winter of 1947-48. John retired from the firm in 1981. He then assisted the Ministry of Natural Resources in auditing retracement surveys by various Ontario companies in 1982 and 1983.
John served on various Association of Ontario Land Surveyor (AOLS) Committees from 1949 to 1984 including the Board of Examiners for five years, the Legislative Committee for nine years and the Education Committee for three years, during which the University of Toronto Survey Course began. He also served as President in 1962.
John was energetic and active in a number of charitable and community activities. He led relief campaigns for the Saguenay QC Floods of 1996 and the Great Ice Storm of 1998. He even hand-delivered a cheque in Saguenay after having driven in a truckload of relief supplies from the Peterborough community. John was also a member of the Peterborough Fortnightly Club, Little Lake Cemetery Board, the Chamber of Commerce Waterfront Development Committee and the Water Control Board during the founding of the Otonabec Region Conservation Authority. He was a member of the Peterborough Museum Board, the Peterborough United Way Chairman for the 1982-83 campaign, founding director of the Kawartha Nordic Ski Club, a member of the Buckhorn Wilderness Education Committee and a life-long member of the Trinity United Church.
John founded the Peterborough Chapter of Commitment Canada that orchestrated a Christmas card mailing campaign for French Canadians. He was a Meals On Wheels volunteer, a breakfast program for schools volunteer and was involved with developing the Rotary Trail. Mr. Pierce was a founding member of Entre Aimies, a local group that started after the last Quebec referendum vote to promote communication with the people of Quebec.
Over his career, John received many awards including a citation for outstanding contribution by the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors, a City of Peterborough Award of Merit, Rotary's Paul Harris Fellowship, a Sir Sandford Fleming College Fellowship in Applied Education award and the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award. In 1976, he received the AOLS Professional Recognition Award.
Friends will be received at the Comstock Funeral Home & Cremation Centre in Peterborough on 13 May from 2:00 – 4:00 and 7:00 – 9:00 PM. A memorial service will be held at Trinity United Church on 14 May at 1:00 PM. Interment will be in Little Lake Cemetery in Peterborough. In memory of John, donations to the Heart & Stroke Foundation or the Canadian Save the Children Fund would be appreciated by the family. [dcDec19gd]
