Walter Pierce

Walter Pierce passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 27, 2013 at the age of 82. A memorial will be held at Village Greens Event Room, 7600 Isabella Way, Gilroy, Ca. 95020 on Saturday, July 6, 2013 @ 4:00PM. He is survived by his wife of 56 Years Jacqueline Pierce, his son and daughter-in-law, David and Yvette Pierce, his daughter Tami Burney and youngest son Jim Pierce; his grandchildren, Brent Pierce, Nicole Pierce and Tabitha Pierce and great grandchild, Benjamin Pierce. He is survived by all of his sisters and brothers; Patricia Blake, Neil Pierce, Kathy Rackett and Joel Pierce. He is also survived by his best friend and business partner Jack Vodden and many other friends and neighbors in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Los Gatos. Walt grew up in Boise, Idaho. He started working picking strawberries in the fields at an early age and at sixteen got into construction, then worked for Davy Tree Company in the forties. He was then drafted into the Korean conflict in 1950 at the age of 19 after graduating from High School and saw the harshest of war including his best friend killed in front of him. He was with the Army Corp of Engineers. His older sister said he had no childhood, but was always working. He ended up in Los Gatos, California in the early 50’s and found work at Sterling Lumber in Los Gatos. He met and then married Jacqueline Hagler in 1957 and in 1958 their first son David was born and later a daughter, Tami and his youngest son, Jim. In 1959 they bought their home in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Walt built two rooms onto their home in the early 60’s expanding their living space. Although he had not planned to stay in lumber that long, he remained at Sterling until they closed in the late 60’s. He gathered some partners and they bought Sterling’s equipment and trucks and started their own lumber yard; El Gato Building Materials in Los Gatos and later bought Mckinnon Lumber in Hollister in 1970. They then sold Mckinnon in 1972 and continued to operate El Gato until they dissolved the business and sold the property in 1992 and retirement came. They then sold their home and moved to Gilroy in 2013. His hobbies were; playing his guitar which he picked up at an early age. He was self taught and played by ear. He also dabbled in the banjo and played the harmonica. He loved his guns and loading ammo, whittling and nurturing his trees. Barbequing was his relaxation.