Richard Pierce

Richard H. Pierce died peacefully at his home with his wife Scottie at his side on August 5, 2011. He was born in Waterville, Maine, the son of Henry and Beatrice Pierce who predeceased him.
A resident of Scottsdale, Arizona and a summer resident of South Portland, Maine, and Park City, Utah, he spent his professional life dedicated to promoting higher educational opportunities for Maine citizens as well as spending a number of years in public service. One of his greatest joys was establishing a scholarship program for high school students from Somerset County, Maine in honor of his parents. He served in both the Maine House and Senate, assuming various leadership roles until he ran for Governor in 1982.
Dick was very active in a variety of community and fraternal organizations including the Readfield Grange, the Kennebec Ponoma Grange, and achieving the 7th degree of the National Grange. He was a 44 year, livetime active member of the Waterville BPOE, Lodge #905; a 32nd degree, 45+ member of the Scottish Rite Bodies and a member of the Kora Temple Shriners. He was also a long time Director for the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals.
Dick earned his private pilot's license as a teenager and loved to fly. He was a commissioned officer in the Maine National Guard and US Army Reserve. He is a 40+ year member of the American Legion Post #5 in Waterville, Maine. He remained active in promoting a variety of Veteran's activities. He loved the Maine wilderness and spent many wonderful days at his camp in North East Carry on Moosehead Lake.
Dick was also involved in many local and statewide charitable organizations, regional education organizations and was appointed by three U.S. Presidents to national education related organizations.
The majority of Dick's life was spent in furthering educational opportunities. He was a graduate of Deerfield Academy, graduated from Boston University with an AB degree and the University of Maine with an MS Ed degree. He participated in a doctoral program, completing course requirements for that degree. He taught public school in Oakland, Maine and was a Dean at Thomas College in Waterville, Maine.
In 1983 Dick worked with the Maine Legislature to create the Maine Educational Loan Marketing Corporation (MELMAC), eventually bringing in over one billion dollars of outside money to Maine on behalf of higher education. He grew that corporation and also established, with the Legislature, the Maine Educational Loan Authority (MELA) in 1987. Dick created SuperLoan, the nations first discounted federal student loan program, saving Maine students and parents millions of dollars in fees. In 1988 Maine Education Services (MES) was created by Dick as a super education opportunity, hoping to provide "one stop shopping" for Maine's educational consumers. In 2000 Dick transitioned the federal loan programs from MELMAC to Nelnet and began to represent them nationally. As Founder of the Nelnet Education Foundation, he became it's first president and the overseeing of distribution of more than $6 million in educational endeavors since 2001. Nelnet is the country's second largest student loan provider. At the same time, Dick created the MELMAC Education Foundation with over $30 million in assets, making it the largest philanthropic entity dedicated solely to education in the State of Maine.
He was a loving husband, father, and grampy. In addition to his wife, Scottie he is survived by his son Conan and his wife Amanda of Ashburn, VA and their two children MacKenzie and Pierce. His daughter Tarah resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. A special place in Dick's heart was held by his 6 pound doggie, li'l Moxie.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Richard H. & Scottie Pierce Family Foundation Maine Scholarship Program (% Rosepink & Estes, 7373 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite E.200, Scottsdale, AZ 85253); to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation which supports education for children of fallen special operations military (www.specialops.org) or to the Salvation Army.
A memorial service and private grave-side internment will be held in Waterville, Maine in July, 2012.Richard H. Pierce
Educator, Legislator, Philanthropist