 PIERCE, CHRISTOPHER MILLER Christopher Miller Pierce, 74 years old, passed away unexpectedly on March 23, 2014, after a short illness. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Carole Pierce; his daughter, Mikaela Pierce, and daughter-in-law, Priscilla Gonzalez; his son, Brendan Pierce, daughter-in-law, Lisa Hill-Pierce, and young grandsons, Henry and Theo; his brother-in-law, David Rogers and sister-in-law, Donna Rogers; Chance, his beloved Golden Retriever; and numerous friends in New Mexico and Kentucky (especially the Bolins and Hylecks). Chris was raised in Albuquerque and raised by two artist parents, Florence Miller Pierce and Horace Towner Pierce. He graduated from UNM with a BA in Anthropology and an MA in Fine Art. He and Carole moved as a young couple for a teaching job to Berea, Kentucky, planning on returning to NM in a few short years; however, they quickly met their best friends and became part of the strong art community, so lived in Berea until two years ago when they returned to Albuquerque. Chris was a Berea Community High School art teacher and Berea College art education professor, and a jeweler, sculptor and painter. He was eccentric, funny (sometimes not on purpose), compassionate, and ever curious about the world; even as his health faded rapidly, he kept a journal filled with questions, observations, and quotes from favorite writers and philosophers. He was notorious for losing keys, hats, lunchboxes, gloves, (even a camera on a Thailand beach on the first day of his trip), for getting lost, for beating up his truck, and for getting stuck in an art department dumpster when looking for possible recycled treasure. Chris and Carole gave their children a life full of love, support, laughter, art, pets, books, drawing, reading, writing, tinkering, cooking elaborate meals, growing enormous gardens, and being good to the people in their lives. Chris was definitely a different type of person, and his family and many friends are lucky to have known and loved him, and heartbroken that he is gone.
|
