Wayne K. Pierson

Wayne K. Pierson, 65, died Friday, April 23, 2004 at the Harborside Nursing Home in Bedford, NH after a fifteen year-long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Mr. Pierson was born July 4, 1938, in New London, CT. He is survived by his wife, Gail C. Pierson, to whom he was married for forty-three years and his mother Evelyn (Giller) Umrysz of Old Lyme, CT. He was the son of the late Raymond Kenneth Pierson. He had been a long time resident of Amherst, NH. Prior to his illness, he was employed by Sanders Associates as Corporate Director of Training and Development. While at Sanders, he was also responsible for the Corporate Gifts program and served as the Sanders representative on numerous boards and committees throughout New Hampshire. Among the organizations he was associated with were the Nashua Seniors Center, the Science Enrichment Encounters (SEE) Museum, the Nashua Jaycees, Nashua Rotary Club, the Girls' Club of Nashua, the Lukas Foundation of Temple. As part of his work at Sanders, Mr. Pierson delivered presentations on such topics as time management, succession analysis, executive development and organizational planning to groups including the NH Association of School Principals, the Federated Arts of Manchester Board of Directors, the NH Bankers Association, the Council for Exceptional Children, the National Board on Assessing Higher Education, the New England Association of Property Administrators, the American Society for Training and Development, the NH Association of Business Women, and the NH Association of Special Education Administrators. Mr. Pierson was an avid fisherman and boatsman, and when not fishing, could be often found telling his favorite fish stories. Mr. Pierson was an active member of the United Methodist Church serving as a lay speaker before his illness, and is remembered as a deeply spiritual man who believed in spending his life helping others. Besides his wife and mother, survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Matthew and Michelle Pierson of Bedford, NH; two daughters and sons-in-law, Laura and Brian O'Leary of Milford, NH and Kaarla and Kevin Weston, of Gilford, NH; seven grandchildren, Joshua, Brent and Russell Austin of Milford, Margo and Madeline Pierson of Bedford, and Kassandra and Korey Weston of Gilford; a sister and brother-in-law Wendy and Richard Hendrickson of Plum Island, MA; his stepfather, Emil Umrysz of Old Lyme, CT.; his mother and father-in-law, Rena and Russell Pierson, Sr.; his brother and sister-in-law, Carolyn and Russell Pierson, Jr.; his brother-in-law, Arthur Pierson, all of Guilford, CT. A memorial service will be held on May 8th at 11 AM at the Brookside Congregational Church, 2013 Elm Street, Manchester, NH. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Amherst Middle School Scholarship Fund, Box 966, Amherst, NH, 03031. The Cremation Society of New Hampshire is in charge of arrangements. To view the online memorial, send a condolence, get directions or for more information, go to www.csnh.com.