Mr. Joel Pearce

Joel Lea Pearce was born on August 31,1964 and passed away on June 1, 2023. Joel was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Dr. Marcellus Pearce of Carthage, TX and Lindaree Ledbetter Pearce of Johnson City, TN, while his father was in dental school. Joel was a descendant of the American Revolution. His great uncle, Benjamin W. Pearce, served as Louisiana's lieutenant governor during the Civil War. He was the second of four siblings. In 1965, when Joel was 11 months old, his parents moved to Shreveport, LA for his dad to set up his dental practice. Joel grew up fishing and water skiing on Cross Lake and enjoyed family trips to Arkansas for camping, New Mexico for skiing and East Tennessee to visit family. He earned his GED before going to Northwestern State University. He was involved in the local Baptist Student Union, DJed a Christian program on the campus radio station and was the color commentator for NSU football. He graduated from NSU in 1986 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Philosophy. Upon graduation he went to law school at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA where he graduated in 1990. After Regent he moved to New Orleans to pursue a Masters of Laws (LLM) at Tulane University specializing in international law graduating in 1991. After federal and state clerkships, he moved to Shreveport to set up his private law practice. Joel practiced law in the areas of personal injury, criminal defense and family law for more than 30 years in Shreveport. In 2012 he won a case before the Louisiana Supreme Court. He previously served on the board of the local Crisis Pregnancy Center and was a member of the Inns of Court. He also worked on behalf of the Alliance Defending Freedom. Joel pastored a local Congregation- Congregation Messiah Now! for several years. Joel instilled his love of travel in his children having been to Europe, Asia, Africa, Russia and South America. His work on behalf of human rights and persecuted Christians led him to Pakistan as well as India where he helped set up a Christian law school. After growing up skiing, Joel took his family to Colorado every winter to ski, where he could easily be spotted with his bright red jacket and long flowing green hat. He had a beautiful voice and a love of music, learning to play the piano at 18. Never one to turn down doing something exciting, he went skydiving multiple times in Texas and white water rafting in Peru. The last several years Joel loved visiting his children and later grandchildren in Reno, NV, where he was affectionately known as Saba. He is preceded in death by his parents, as well as grandparents, Steve William Pearce and Minnie Lee (Baugh) Pearce and William Roy Ledbetter and Sarah Justine Payne Ledbetter. Joel is survived by his children Benjamin J. Esq. (Michele Hess), Bethany and Samuel of Reno, NV., and Daniel, and former wife Karen Kinberger. His in-laws were Henry and Judy Kinberger. He is also survived by his siblings Dr. Marcellus M. Pearce of Round Rock, Texas, Dr. Allen R. (Katherine F.) Pearce, their children Adam,Duncan and Julia of Baton Rouge and Ann Shalon (Lindy, Kailen) Pearce of Shreveport, as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Joel will be buried in the family cemetery in Carthage, TX, next to his father. While his family mourns his passing, we know that we will see him again. Above all Joel lived to make King Jesus known. An online guestbook may be signed at www.hawthornfuneralhome.com