WAYNE E. PIERCE Sr.

Wayne E. Pierce Sr., 87, the founder of the Pierce Harley-Davidson motorcycle shop in DeKalb, Ill., died Wednesday, May 28, 2008.
Born April 13, 1921, in rural Fairdale, he was the son of William and Rosalie (Wragg) Pierce. He grew up on a farm, and graduated from Kingston High School in 1939. He married his high school sweetheart, Eleanor Johnson, on Feb. 7, 1942, in Kahoka, Mo.
Known as "Pappy," his tenure with Harley goes back to 1957, when the motorcycle company approached him about opening a dealership locally.
In the fledgling days of the business, he did repairs out of his garage at home. He later moved to a one-room space on Sycamore Road, near the Dairy Queen, and then to a larger space nearby.
In 1967, he opened the new Pierce-Harley Davidson store on Sycamore Road, on the site of the old Oaks Drive-In. The dealership moved in 1999 to its current site on Peace Road. Over the years, Wayne presided over the business with his wife, Eleanor, his son, the late Wayne Pierce Jr., and, more recently, with his daughter, Marylou Smith. Now operated by his widow and daughter, Pierce Harley-Davidson is one of the oldest family-run motorcycle shops in America.
Wayne was a prominent figure in motorcycle culture and folklore. At the shop, he established a museum with Harley models that go back to 1903, all of them still in running condition. The museum has drawn visitors from around the world.
In his earlier days, Wayne was well-known in the Midwest for his success in Enduro trail-riding races. He won more than 240 trophies. His proudest racing achievement was winning the National Jack Pine championship in Michigan.
Before devoting full-time to the motorcycle business, Wayne farmed near Kingston. He also worked at General Electric, where he served as president of the union local. Wayne also worked as a national labor union organizer.
A big man known for a gruff charm and his seemingly endless motorcycle wisdom, he was a larger-than-life figure who earned deep respect and loyalty among customers and friends.
As he told the story, he fell in love with motorcycles in 1940, as a teenage boy, when he leaned against a fence post at a country fair and gazed at a gleaming Harley-Davidson motorcycle. "From then on," he would later recall with a smile, "that was it for me."
He was a charter member of the American Motorcycle Association, a longtime member of the Midwest Antique and Classic Motorcycle Club and a member of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America.
Motorcycle enthusiasts often sought out Wayne for his knowledge about old bikes, and for his colorful stories about the early days of motorcycling.
"He got to live his dream," as one customer put it.
Survivors include his wife, Eleanor; a daughter, Marylou (Steve) Smith; two brothers-in-law, Ralph (Marion) Johnson and Glen (Donna) Johnson; 13 nieces and nephews; and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Wayne "Whiz" Pierce Jr.; and a sister and a brother-in-law, Bev and Dale Meister.
The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 31, at Butala Funeral Home and Crematory in Sycamore, with the Rev. Janet Hunt officiating. Burial will be at Elmwood Cemetery in Sycamore. Visitation will be from 3-8 p.m. Friday, May 30, at the funeral home.
Memorials can be made in care of the Butala Funeral Home and Crematory, 1405 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore, IL 60178.
For information, call 815-895-2833. To sign the online guest book, visit http://www.daily-chronicle.com/obits.