Robert Roe "Bob" Pierce

Robert Roe "Bob" Pierce, 89, of Battle Creek, died unexpectedly at home the morning of September 7, 2018. Bob was born at Nichols Hospital in Battle Creek, MI on March 27, 1929, to Bessie (Roe) and Clyde Pierce. His father died when Bob was 14 months old. Bessie later married Ed Fuller. Bob attended Fremont Elementary School and WK Kellogg Junior High School. He completed tenth grade at Battle Creek Central High School, and continued his senior high school education at Georgia Military Academy in College Park, GA, graduating in 1947.

After graduation, Bob worked for a year in Little Rock, AR at a family-owned insurance company. In 1949, he moved home to Battle Creek and worked as a billing clerk in the freight office at Michigan Central and at Goss Printing, where he met his future wife, the late Patricia Ann (Barton) Pierce, whom he married July 29, 1950.

Bob had just started working at Post Cereal when he was called up to serve in the US Army during the Korean Conflict. He completed basic training at Ft. Ord in California before attending mountain climbing school at Camp Carson, CO. From there he was assigned to serve in the mountain troops in St. Johann, Austria, where he completed his mountain training and graduated from NCO School.

After his honorable discharge from the Army, Bob returned to Battle Creek and his job at Post, where he remained until 1956. He then worked at Clark Equipment until October of 1957. At that time he went into the insurance business with Equitable of New York until 1962, when he left to work at the John Ter Avest Agency, then on to the Confederation Life Insurance Company. In 1963, he designed and installed the first optimal credit disability program for credit unions, the first of its kind in the county.

In 1965, Bob decided to specialize in credit insurance full time and joined the team at Kenny Corporation. In 1977, he left Kenny Corporation to start the Credit Insurance Agency, his own credit insurance business, from which he retired in 1994 at the age of 65.

Bob served on the local board of the Salvation Army for 27 years, chairing it for three. He also served as the president of the Battle Creek Association of Life Underwriters. He was elected Commodore of the Singapore Yacht Club in Saugatuck, MI; was a member of the Battle Creek Country Club; and a member of the South Central Advocacy Council of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Bob cherished his family, often telling them, "I love you desperately." He thoroughly enjoyed sports and the outdoors. He was an avid tennis and football player in middle and high school and later in the service. In his early grandfather years, his grandson's football prowess was his pride and joy. He loved hunting, especially with his nephews and his father-in-law; boating; skiing; fishing in Alaska; being a gentleman farmer; and traveling in his motorhomes.

Bob always had a dog at his side. We are certain that Mitzie, Schatzie, Schauna, Braun, Aries, Charme, Bambi, Champ, Foxy, and Opie welcomed him with sloppy kisses and wagging tails of joy at their reunion.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Pat; and sisters, Thelma and Barbara Jean (Pierce) Halbert.

He is survived by his daughters, Cheryl Pierce of Battle Creek, and Kristin "Kit" LeBlanc of Climax, MI; his granddaughter, Tricia LeBlanc and her fiancé, Joshua Jackson of Scotts, MI; his grandson, Shaun (Kelly) LeBlanc of Kalamazoo, MI; his granddaughter, Heather LeBlanc of Battle Creek; and several nieces and nephews, three of whom were more like sons to him: Bob Halbert of St. Petersburg, FL; Alan Halbert of Bellevue, MI; and Scott Halbert of Battle Creek.

The family will receive friends 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, September 13, 2018 at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care where funeral services to celebrate Bob's life will be held 11:00 a.m., Friday, September 14, 2018. Interment will follow at Gilson Cemetery, Climax Township. Memorial contributions may be made to All Species Kinship. Personal messages for the family and/or favorite memories of Bob may be placed at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.