Janet Pierce didn’t take phone calls for a few hours every Saturday afternoon. That’s when Georgia Public Broadcasting aired cooking shows, and Pierce was glued to the screen.
Pierce loved to test out gourmet creations in her home in Decatur, using only the freshest, organic ingredients. She frequented the Morningside Farmer’s Market Saturday mornings and she always bought something — even though her kitchen was usually stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables.
“She went to support the farmers,” said her mother, Glenda Pierce of Gainesville. “Even if she didn’t need anything, she would buy something and give it away, or cook something and take it to church. She cared very much for taking care of our resources.”
When Pierce was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and underwent treatment, her friends and family took her meals. But Pierce didn’t stop cooking, her friends said, and gladly gave her tasty concoctions to them in thanks.
Janet Pierce died July 15 after a two-year bout with pancreatic cancer. She was 49. A memorial service is planned for July 29 at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Little & Davenport Funeral Home in Gainesville arranged the cremation.
“She was the nicest person that I have ever met in my entire life,” said her friend and coworker, Nan Hendrix of Atlanta. “Everybody just loved her.” Pierce worked as the tax director for Turner Broadcasting Systems. She loved numbers all her life, said her mother.
Pierce was born February 10, 1964 in Gainesville. She graduated the valedictorian of Gainesville High School in 1982, where she played clarinet in the marching band. Pierce joked she wouldn’t be valedictorian if she didn’t receive such high grades in band, said her mother. “But [Janet] took all of her band grades out and added up all her grades herself and she still had the highest grades,” she said.
Pierce went on to graduate with honors from Georgia Tech leading to insider family humor. “My husband didn’t even finish high school,” said the elder Pierce. “We joke that she took after him.”
Whether singing in the church choir at Trinity Presbyterian Church, playing handbells, or attending a performance at the Atlanta Symphony orchestra, Pierce pursued her passion for music well past her high school band days. She both sang and served on the board of directors for the Michael O’Neil Singers. Although it had been ten years since her last performance, fellow Singer and friend Walt Bryde said the singing group still remembers her and her valuable contribution.
“She was the type of person if she’s going to be at a church or any other organization, she’s going to be involved,” said Bryde, of Atlanta. “She’s not a back row person.”
She didn’t have children, but she had “two girls,” said her mother, her cats Chloe and Mainey. Pierce named Mainey for the little white spot on her nose, which she thought resembled the state of Maine, her mother said.
Friends said they will remember Pierce for her infectious smile. “She was always smiling,” said Hendrix, who worked with Pierce at TBS. “It didn’t matter if things were going well or not going well, she was always upbeat. You see a smile in the morning first thing when you walk in, it always makes your day better.”
Pierce is also survived by her father Rueben Pierce of Gainesville, and her brother Chad Pierce of Gainesville.
About the Author
