Donald A. Pierce, Jr, died peacefully on March 12, 2021 at the age of 81. He was delightfully charming, genuinely interested in others, quietly brilliant, and had a sporty competitiveness. Don’s passions included tennis, real estate, Tigers baseball, Red Wings hockey and Pistons basketball. A day that began with freshly squeezed, pulpy orange juice and a copy of the newspaper with sports scores was off to a good start.
Don was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Mary Ellen (Apted) Pierce. He is survived by his children Susan (Steve) Mavrides of Apex, NC; Brad (Elizabeth) Pierce of Cincinnati, OH; and David (Patti) Pierce of Winnetka, IL; and eight grandchildren: Dylan, Stacia, Jake and Spencer Mavrides, Cooper and Graham Pierce, Mackenzie and Durfee Pierce. Don leaves his beloved siblings, Richard (Marie) Pierce of Chelsea, MI and Janet (Bill) Raisch of Hilton Head Island, SC; in-laws Dora (Apted) and Bill Grover of Essex. CT, along with numerous nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
Don was born in Detroit, Michigan to Sally (Giffen) and Donald A. Pierce, Sr. The family enjoyed an active lifestyle of sports and outdoor exploration with neighborhood friends in Livonia, Michigan often transforming the “valley” behind them into just about every kind of competitive sports venue imaginable. There are many fond memories of time spent in their rustic cabin. In his teens, Don gave up baseball to pursue tennis with vigor, playing early in the morning daily with his father. He was a 1957 graduate of Bentley High School in Livonia, serving as class president his junior and senior years; a member of Varsity Club and the tennis team. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. At OWU, Don was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and the “Battling Bishop’s” varsity tennis team, serving as captain and playing #1 and #2 singles. He was a member of the varsity Debate Squad, W-Clan and Class of ’61 Alumni Weekend committee.
Don received his JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 1964 and his MBA from the University of Michigan School of Business in 1966. He continued his legal education in taxation at Wayne State University where he earned his LLM in 1972. He was a member of the Oakland County Bar Association and the Michigan State Bar for more than 50 years. Don was a partner in the firm of Fulkerson, Hudson, Moore, Bileti, Pierce and Tennent and continued in firm leadership after the merger with Dean & Dean, to create Dean & Fulkerson. He practiced in a wide array of areas (focus was never Don’s thing) with emphasis on real estate, business and estate planning. Don was recognized by his peers and selected to Super Lawyers for 2006 - 2007, 2010 - 2013.
He married Mary Ellen Apted on August 21, 1965 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They were married for 55 years. She appreciated his keen wit and he kept her laughing.
As a passionate tennis player and entrepreneur, Don was instrumental in creating the Birmingham Racquet Club in 1974, as the area’s first domed-tennis structure. A few years later Don founded the Troy Racquet Club in 1977, recognized as the first private/public partnership with the City of Troy. Don had joy and passion for tennis and competition. He consistently played in local and national USTA tournaments, holding many national rankings in singles, doubles and the father-son divisions. The Pierce’s were regulars on the National Father-Son tennis circuit, where Don played with Brad and David Pierce in many tournaments around the country over the years. Don, and his son David won the Equitable Family Tennis Challenge of Michigan in 1986 enabling the pair to play in the National Family Tennis Championships at the US Open. He was a long-term member of the Birmingham Athletic Club.
Don shared a bright and curious spirit with all he met. At times, it was difficult to distinguish if Don had known someone for 15 minutes or 15 years. He was always positive and friendly with an eagerness to explore new places and meet new people. He was grounded in fairness. Summarized by many, “You were a great guy.”
Dating back to his childhood and the cabin his family built in the valley of Livonia, Don had a deep passion for log cabin design and was on an unending search for property with the perfect waterfall for his cabin getaway.
The family will hold a private burial Saturday March 27, 2021 at Six Oaks Cemetery, Hilton Head Island. A celebration of Don’s life for family and friends will be held 3-5pm on May 8, 2021 at the Birmingham Athletic Club, 4033 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI, 48301.
Memorial contributions in his name may be made to The Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s or the Palmer Park Tennis Academy/People for Palmer Park.
Online: https://www.kirkgibsonfoundation.org/donate/
https://www.peopleforpalmerpark.org/tennis.html
Offline: The Kirk Gibson Foundation For Parkinson’s, 19798 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236
People for Palmer Park, PO Box 43735, Detroit, MI 48243
Don was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Mary Ellen (Apted) Pierce. He is survived by his children Susan (Steve) Mavrides of Apex, NC; Brad (Elizabeth) Pierce of Cincinnati, OH; and David (Patti) Pierce of Winnetka, IL; and eight grandchildren: Dylan, Stacia, Jake and Spencer Mavrides, Cooper and Graham Pierce, Mackenzie and Durfee Pierce. Don leaves his beloved siblings, Richard (Marie) Pierce of Chelsea, MI and Janet (Bill) Raisch of Hilton Head Island, SC; in-laws Dora (Apted) and Bill Grover of Essex. CT, along with numerous nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
Don was born in Detroit, Michigan to Sally (Giffen) and Donald A. Pierce, Sr. The family enjoyed an active lifestyle of sports and outdoor exploration with neighborhood friends in Livonia, Michigan often transforming the “valley” behind them into just about every kind of competitive sports venue imaginable. There are many fond memories of time spent in their rustic cabin. In his teens, Don gave up baseball to pursue tennis with vigor, playing early in the morning daily with his father. He was a 1957 graduate of Bentley High School in Livonia, serving as class president his junior and senior years; a member of Varsity Club and the tennis team. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. At OWU, Don was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and the “Battling Bishop’s” varsity tennis team, serving as captain and playing #1 and #2 singles. He was a member of the varsity Debate Squad, W-Clan and Class of ’61 Alumni Weekend committee.
Don received his JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 1964 and his MBA from the University of Michigan School of Business in 1966. He continued his legal education in taxation at Wayne State University where he earned his LLM in 1972. He was a member of the Oakland County Bar Association and the Michigan State Bar for more than 50 years. Don was a partner in the firm of Fulkerson, Hudson, Moore, Bileti, Pierce and Tennent and continued in firm leadership after the merger with Dean & Dean, to create Dean & Fulkerson. He practiced in a wide array of areas (focus was never Don’s thing) with emphasis on real estate, business and estate planning. Don was recognized by his peers and selected to Super Lawyers for 2006 - 2007, 2010 - 2013.
He married Mary Ellen Apted on August 21, 1965 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They were married for 55 years. She appreciated his keen wit and he kept her laughing.
As a passionate tennis player and entrepreneur, Don was instrumental in creating the Birmingham Racquet Club in 1974, as the area’s first domed-tennis structure. A few years later Don founded the Troy Racquet Club in 1977, recognized as the first private/public partnership with the City of Troy. Don had joy and passion for tennis and competition. He consistently played in local and national USTA tournaments, holding many national rankings in singles, doubles and the father-son divisions. The Pierce’s were regulars on the National Father-Son tennis circuit, where Don played with Brad and David Pierce in many tournaments around the country over the years. Don, and his son David won the Equitable Family Tennis Challenge of Michigan in 1986 enabling the pair to play in the National Family Tennis Championships at the US Open. He was a long-term member of the Birmingham Athletic Club.
Don shared a bright and curious spirit with all he met. At times, it was difficult to distinguish if Don had known someone for 15 minutes or 15 years. He was always positive and friendly with an eagerness to explore new places and meet new people. He was grounded in fairness. Summarized by many, “You were a great guy.”
Dating back to his childhood and the cabin his family built in the valley of Livonia, Don had a deep passion for log cabin design and was on an unending search for property with the perfect waterfall for his cabin getaway.
The family will hold a private burial Saturday March 27, 2021 at Six Oaks Cemetery, Hilton Head Island. A celebration of Don’s life for family and friends will be held 3-5pm on May 8, 2021 at the Birmingham Athletic Club, 4033 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI, 48301.
Memorial contributions in his name may be made to The Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s or the Palmer Park Tennis Academy/People for Palmer Park.
Online: https://www.kirkgibsonfoundation.org/donate/
https://www.peopleforpalmerpark.org/tennis.html
Offline: The Kirk Gibson Foundation For Parkinson’s, 19798 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236
People for Palmer Park, PO Box 43735, Detroit, MI 48243
Donald A. Pierce, Jr, died peacefully on March 12, 2021 at the age of 81. He was delightfully charming, genuinely interested in others, quietly brilliant, and had a sporty competitiveness. Don’s passions included tennis, real estate, Tigers baseball, Red Wings hockey and Pistons basketball. A day that began with freshly squeezed, pulpy orange juice and a copy of the newspaper with sports scores was off to a good start.
Don was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Mary Ellen (Apted) Pierce. He is survived by his children Susan (Steve) Mavrides of Apex, NC; Brad (Elizabeth) Pierce of Cincinnati, OH; and David (Patti) Pierce of Winnetka, IL; and eight grandchildren: Dylan, Stacia, Jake and Spencer Mavrides, Cooper and Graham Pierce, Mackenzie and Durfee Pierce. Don leaves his beloved siblings, Richard (Marie) Pierce of Chelsea, MI and Janet (Bill) Raisch of Hilton Head Island, SC; in-laws Dora (Apted) and Bill Grover of Essex. CT, along with numerous nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
Don was born in Detroit, Michigan to Sally (Giffen) and Donald A. Pierce, Sr. The family enjoyed an active lifestyle of sports and outdoor exploration with neighborhood friends in Livonia, Michigan often transforming the “valley” behind them into just about every kind of competitive sports venue imaginable. There are many fond memories of time spent in their rustic cabin. In his teens, Don gave up baseball to pursue tennis with vigor, playing early in the morning daily with his father. He was a 1957 graduate of Bentley High School in Livonia, serving as class president his junior and senior years; a member of Varsity Club and the tennis team. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. At OWU, Don was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and the “Battling Bishop’s” varsity tennis team, serving as captain and playing #1 and #2 singles. He was a member of the varsity Debate Squad, W-Clan and Class of ’61 Alumni Weekend committee.
Don received his JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 1964 and his MBA from the University of Michigan School of Business in 1966. He continued his legal education in taxation at Wayne State University where he earned his LLM in 1972. He was a member of the Oakland County Bar Association and the Michigan State Bar for more than 50 years. Don was a partner in the firm of Fulkerson, Hudson, Moore, Bileti, Pierce and Tennent and continued in firm leadership after the merger with Dean & Dean, to create Dean & Fulkerson. He practiced in a wide array of areas (focus was never Don’s thing) with emphasis on real estate, business and estate planning. Don was recognized by his peers and selected to Super Lawyers for 2006 - 2007, 2010 - 2013.
He married Mary Ellen Apted on August 21, 1965 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They were married for 55 years. She appreciated his keen wit and he kept her laughing.
As a passionate tennis player and entrepreneur, Don was instrumental in creating the Birmingham Racquet Club in 1974, as the area’s first domed-tennis structure. A few years later Don founded the Troy Racquet Club in 1977, recognized as the first private/public partnership with the City of Troy. Don had joy and passion for tennis and competition. He consistently played in local and national USTA tournaments, holding many national rankings in singles, doubles and the father-son divisions. The Pierce’s were regulars on the National Father-Son tennis circuit, where Don played with Brad and David Pierce in many tournaments around the country over the years. Don, and his son David won the Equitable Family Tennis Challenge of Michigan in 1986 enabling the pair to play in the National Family Tennis Championships at the US Open. He was a long-term member of the Birmingham Athletic Club.
Don shared a bright and curious spirit with all he met. At times, it was difficult to distinguish if Don had known someone for 15 minutes or 15 years. He was always positive and friendly with an eagerness to explore new places and meet new people. He was grounded in fairness. Summarized by many, “You were a great guy.”
Dating back to his childhood and the cabin his family built in the valley of Livonia, Don had a deep passion for log cabin design and was on an unending search for property with the perfect waterfall for his cabin getaway.
The family will hold a private burial Saturday March 27, 2021 at Six Oaks Cemetery, Hilton Head Island. A celebration of Don’s life for family and friends will be held 3-5pm on May 8, 2021 at the Birmingham Athletic Club, 4033 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI, 48301.
Memorial contributions in his name may be made to The Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s or the Palmer Park Tennis Academy/People for Palmer Park.
Online: https://www.kirkgibsonfoundation.org/donate/
https://www.peopleforpalmerpark.org/tennis.html
Offline: The Kirk Gibson Foundation For Parkinson’s, 19798 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236
People for Palmer Park, PO Box 43735, Detroit, MI 48243
Don was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Mary Ellen (Apted) Pierce. He is survived by his children Susan (Steve) Mavrides of Apex, NC; Brad (Elizabeth) Pierce of Cincinnati, OH; and David (Patti) Pierce of Winnetka, IL; and eight grandchildren: Dylan, Stacia, Jake and Spencer Mavrides, Cooper and Graham Pierce, Mackenzie and Durfee Pierce. Don leaves his beloved siblings, Richard (Marie) Pierce of Chelsea, MI and Janet (Bill) Raisch of Hilton Head Island, SC; in-laws Dora (Apted) and Bill Grover of Essex. CT, along with numerous nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
Don was born in Detroit, Michigan to Sally (Giffen) and Donald A. Pierce, Sr. The family enjoyed an active lifestyle of sports and outdoor exploration with neighborhood friends in Livonia, Michigan often transforming the “valley” behind them into just about every kind of competitive sports venue imaginable. There are many fond memories of time spent in their rustic cabin. In his teens, Don gave up baseball to pursue tennis with vigor, playing early in the morning daily with his father. He was a 1957 graduate of Bentley High School in Livonia, serving as class president his junior and senior years; a member of Varsity Club and the tennis team. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. At OWU, Don was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and the “Battling Bishop’s” varsity tennis team, serving as captain and playing #1 and #2 singles. He was a member of the varsity Debate Squad, W-Clan and Class of ’61 Alumni Weekend committee.
Don received his JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 1964 and his MBA from the University of Michigan School of Business in 1966. He continued his legal education in taxation at Wayne State University where he earned his LLM in 1972. He was a member of the Oakland County Bar Association and the Michigan State Bar for more than 50 years. Don was a partner in the firm of Fulkerson, Hudson, Moore, Bileti, Pierce and Tennent and continued in firm leadership after the merger with Dean & Dean, to create Dean & Fulkerson. He practiced in a wide array of areas (focus was never Don’s thing) with emphasis on real estate, business and estate planning. Don was recognized by his peers and selected to Super Lawyers for 2006 - 2007, 2010 - 2013.
He married Mary Ellen Apted on August 21, 1965 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They were married for 55 years. She appreciated his keen wit and he kept her laughing.
As a passionate tennis player and entrepreneur, Don was instrumental in creating the Birmingham Racquet Club in 1974, as the area’s first domed-tennis structure. A few years later Don founded the Troy Racquet Club in 1977, recognized as the first private/public partnership with the City of Troy. Don had joy and passion for tennis and competition. He consistently played in local and national USTA tournaments, holding many national rankings in singles, doubles and the father-son divisions. The Pierce’s were regulars on the National Father-Son tennis circuit, where Don played with Brad and David Pierce in many tournaments around the country over the years. Don, and his son David won the Equitable Family Tennis Challenge of Michigan in 1986 enabling the pair to play in the National Family Tennis Championships at the US Open. He was a long-term member of the Birmingham Athletic Club.
Don shared a bright and curious spirit with all he met. At times, it was difficult to distinguish if Don had known someone for 15 minutes or 15 years. He was always positive and friendly with an eagerness to explore new places and meet new people. He was grounded in fairness. Summarized by many, “You were a great guy.”
Dating back to his childhood and the cabin his family built in the valley of Livonia, Don had a deep passion for log cabin design and was on an unending search for property with the perfect waterfall for his cabin getaway.
The family will hold a private burial Saturday March 27, 2021 at Six Oaks Cemetery, Hilton Head Island. A celebration of Don’s life for family and friends will be held 3-5pm on May 8, 2021 at the Birmingham Athletic Club, 4033 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI, 48301.
Memorial contributions in his name may be made to The Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s or the Palmer Park Tennis Academy/People for Palmer Park.
Online: https://www.kirkgibsonfoundation.org/donate/
https://www.peopleforpalmerpark.org/tennis.html
Offline: The Kirk Gibson Foundation For Parkinson’s, 19798 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236
People for Palmer Park, PO Box 43735, Detroit, MI 48243
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