Dennis John Pearce

Dennis John Pearce

Dennis John Pearce, 65, died peacefully at home in Stanwood, Washington, on October 22, 2008, surrounded by his loving family, ending his courageous battle with esophageal cancer. Born May 8, 1943 to Jack and Vivian Jean (Christensen) Pearce in Mount Vernon, Washington, Dennis was the descendant of English and Danish immigrants to the Skagit and Cedarhome areas. His grandparents purchased the Christensen farm in Cedarhome in 1909, and next year the family will celebrate 100 years on the farm. Dennis spent his youth in Conway, in Mount Vernon, on County Line Road, and at the farm in Cedarhome. He graduated from Twin City High School in 1961. He was a proud letterman of the Twin City High School Cardinals basketball squad, and was a member of the Pep Club, Service Club, newspaper staff, 4H and FFA.
Dennis attended Cedarville College in Ohio, graduating with a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1966. In 1964, Dennis married Judith Ann Dadisman in Warren, Ohio. They made their first home in Cedarville, later moving to Bucyrus, Ohio, where Dennis was a partner in an accounting firm. In 1972, Dennis moved his young family to the family farm in Cedarhome. In 1975, the family moved to their current residence, a bit closer to town. Dennis worked at Twin City Foods, Inc., in Stanwood as an accountant from May 4, 1972 until his retirement on May 30 of this year. As Dennis neared retirement, he and Judy took many wonderful trips around the United States to visit with family and enjoy historic places.
Dennis was a member of Cedarhome Baptist Church from 1959 to 2003, and a member of Island Baptist Church from 2003 until his death. At Cedarhome Baptist Church, he served variously as chairman of the deacon board, chairman of the finance committee, treasurer, Sunday School teacher, and youth leader. At Island Baptist Church, he served as an usher.
Dennis worked with Boy Scout Troop 46 of Camano Island when his sons were younger, and helped Jeffrey and Timothy attain the rank of Eagle Scout. He served as a basketball referee for many years with various organizations. He was a founding officer of the Stanwood-Camano Junior Athletic Association, and he also worked as an assistant coach on his sons' various basketball and little league baseball teams. He enjoyed gardening and raising Jonagold apples, and for many years owned and operated Aslan's Acres Orchard.
Dennis raised prize-winning show poultry, including Single Comb Light Brown Leghorns, Dutch Bantams, and Buckeyes. He was the poultry leader for Blue Chips 4H Club in Marysville, assisted with the Silvana Community Fair, the Stanwood Camano Community Fair, and the Evergreen State Fair poultry programs, and was the treasurer of the Snohomish County 4H Poultry Program. He dearly loved the young people that he worked with in these organizations. He was a member of the Washington Feather Fanciers, and for several years he wrote, edited and published their newsletter, The Quill. He helped to coordinate the WFF Cascade Spring Poultry Show in Monroe. He was also a member of the American Poultry Association, the American Bantam Association, the American Brown Leghorn Society, the American Dutch Bantam Society, and the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities, and held offices in several of these organizations. He was instrumental in getting the Blue Cream Light Brown Dutch Bantam chicken variety admitted to the American Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association and the Bantam Standard of the American Bantam Association at the Crossroads of America Poultry Show in Indianapolis, Indiana in November, 2006.
Dennis leaves behind his dear wife, Judith Ann, of the family home; sons, Jeffrey and his wife, Linda, of Stanwood, Timothy and his wife, Kathleen, of Stanwood, James and his fiancé, and Melissa Ellsworth, of Soap Lake, WA; beloved grandchildren, Kimberly Pearce, Bryson Pearce, Joshua Pearce, Trysten Ellsworth, James Pearce, Aiden Ellsworth, Madison Pearce, Braxton Pearce, and Ethan Pearce; siblings, Roger and his wife, Janet, of Anacortes, WA, Sandra and her husband, Grant, of Lake Stevens, WA, Michael and his wife, Julie, of Stanwood; sister-in-law, Marlea Dadisman of Mesa, AZ, brother-in-law, David Dadisman and his wife, Bonnie, of Clearwater, FL; aunt, Imogene Boyd, of Penney Farms, FL; special family members, Ruth Painter, of Stanwood, and Elizabeth Callaghan, of Seattle, WA; and many much-loved nephews, nieces and cousins. Dennis also leaves behind many dear friends from Island Baptist Church, Cedarhome Baptist Church, Twin City Foods, Inc., the Stanwood and Camano Island communities, and the 4H and poultry communities.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Vivian, in 1972; and his father, Jack, in 1999.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., on Thursday, October 30, 2008, at Camano Chapel, 867 S. West Camano Drive, Camano Island, Washington, with private family interment to follow at the Cedarhome Cemetery, where his parents and his mother's parents are buried. Pastor Rick Mitchell of Island Baptist Church will officiate, assisted by Pastors Dub Page and Bob Weltz. Honorary assistant officiant is Pastor Bernie Stone. Friends may call for a time of viewing at Gilbertson Funeral Home from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, October 27, Tuesday, October 28, and Wednesday, October 29.
Memorials may be made to Skagit Regional Cancer Care Center (Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation), P.O. Box 1376, Mount Vernon, WA, 98273, or to Island Baptist Church, 147 Woodland Drive, Camano Island, WA, 98282.
The family would like to thank everyone for their constant prayers, words of love and acts of kindness during this difficult time.
Dennis long ago surrendered himself to the will of God as revealed in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, and he did so in faith, not knowing what God's specific plans would be for him. Dennis was determined, regardless of the outcome of the disease, to continue to submit himself to God, and he trusted that God knew what was best for him. May the same be said of each one of us in our darkest hours, and always.
Arrangements are under the direction of Gilbertson Funeral Home, Stanwood, WA.