George P. Pierson's Obituary
Dr. George P. Pierson, DVM (Kansas State University, ‘62), 81, Fort Myers, Florida, died May 24, 2015. He is survived by Donna Pierson, his beloved wife of 57 years. He leaves behind his daughter, Pamela J. O’Meara and her spouse, Richard O’Meara and his son, John D. Pierson and his spouse, Patricia Pierson. He also leaves behind five grandchildren: Christopher Bageant and his spouse, Tiffani Bageant; Erin O’Meara; Kimberly Flinchum and her spouse, Justin Flinchum; Ryan Bessey and his spouse, Amy Bessey; and Sean Pierson and four great grandchildren: Ethan Bageant, Frederick Flinchum, Khloe Bessey, and Micah Bessey. Dr. Pierson graduated from KSU with honors in 1962. He worked for a mixed animal practice for less than two years in Indiana before beginning his career with the USDA in 1963. He served as veterinary medical officer for two years in Indiana working on bovine brucellosis and sheep scabies program. He moved to North Dakota in 1966 and served as the brucellosis epidemiology leader. After a one year stint in Richmond, VA, he moved to Minnesota in 1969 to continue his role as brucellosis epidemiology leader. He transferred to import/export staff in Hyattsville, MD in 1971. Initially, he worked on the bird import staff and wrote and implemented the regulations for the import procedures of birds that are still in place today. He spent 16 years on this staff eventually serving as Assistant Regional Director. He was appointed Assistant Director in 1981 and served in that position until 1986. In 1986, Dr. Pierson became a member of the Senior Executive staff and served as Director of the Northern Region in Schenectady, NY. In 1989, he was appointed Director of the Western Region from which he retired after only a period of a few months. Dr. Pierson then went back to work for the State of Maryland as a staff veterinarian. He retired from that position in 1998. He later moved to Fort Myers, Florida in 2007 to live out his remaining years with his wife, Donna Jean. Dr. Pierson was a man who not only loved animals but human beings as well. Family came first and children, especially, were his soft spot. He loved to travel and his wife and he traveled to every continent during their retirement. He loved gardening and up until 2014 always had a garden. He and his wife had recently moved to a retirement community in June of 2014, living independently. He was diagnosed with a Klatskin’s tumor which had blocked his entire bile duct on December 1, 2014. Dr. Pierson was a fighter. This was not his first rodeo. He decided to fight his cancer and he lived almost 6 months from his original diagnosis when the doctor had only given him weeks. He lived a full, caring life and touched everyone he came in contact with. He was a great man!Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33907. Online condolences may be made at: www.fortmyersmemorial.com.
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