Horace Lee Pearce

Horace Lee Pearce Horace Lee Pearce, 88, died peacefully on Saturday, August 13, 2011, in Charlottesville, at Westminster Canterbury of the Blue Ridge, where he received loving and compassionate care for the past nine years.

A native of Hampton, he was the son of Horace L. Pearce Sr. and Gertrude Parker Pearce.

He played football at both Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia, where he was part of the V-12 program during World War II. After United States Navy service in the Pacific, he returned to VPI and after graduation, began his long career at Reynolds Metals Company.

He is survived by a son, Lee Hutcheson Pearce of San Diego, California; a daughter, Elizabeth Duke Pearce Wilkerson of Charlottesville; and two granddaughters, Mary Lindsay Wilkerson of Arlington and Catherine Lee Wilkerson of Charlottesville.

His wife, Grace Collier Hutcheson Pearce, and his eldest granddaughter, Elizabeth Collier Wilkerson, died in 1997. His sister, Elizabeth Pearce Hornsby, died in 1959.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, August 16, 2011, at Westminster Canterbury in Charlottesville, with a graveside service following at 4 p.m, at The Church of the Good Shepherd in McKenney, Virginia.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Westminster Canterbury Employees Education Fund or the Employees Emergency Fund in care of the Office of Development, 250 Pantops Mountain Road, Charlottesville, VA 22911.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.