Rev. Bob Pierce, age 74, of Axson, went to his heavenly home on Friday evening at Coffee Regional Medical Center. Bob was born on March 20, 1944 in Valdosta, the son of the late Wilmont Candler Pierce and Helen Baskin Pierce.
He was a Lanier County native, raised in Ray City Baptist Church, licensed to preach by FBC Valdosta and ordained by Ray City Baptist Church. He was a graduate of Lanier County High School and Valdosta State (College) University where he was a brother in the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, president of the college Baptist Student Union where he also directed the choir. He was on the committee for summer missions for Georgia State BSU during his senior year.
He married Kay Gillis Pierce in 1967 while he was a preaching ministries student at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, KY. He had finished two years of seminary when he was called to be pastor of Cocoli Baptist Church in Panama City, Panama, Central America. He served as a trustee of the Panama Baptist Seminary and oversaw two missions of the church. Cocoli was made up of all military personnel headed to or returning from Viet Nam. He was there for two and half years.
He went to East Hill Baptist Church in Tallahassee, FL, as youth director and minister of education for two very joyful years and then accepted a call as pastor of Beallwood Baptist Church in Columbus, GA. After eight years in Columbus, he became pastor of First Baptist Church, Pearson, GA and served there for eight years. Buckhead Baptist Church, Atlanta called him as pastor in 1989 where he worked for five years before becoming pastor of First Baptist Church, Lakeland, GA. His heart’s desire has always been to work with small churches, and after five years in Lakeland, God opened the door for him to become a bivocational pastor and in 1999 Stokesville Baptist Church issued a call to him as their pastor. He served at Stokesville until his long battle with cancer caused him to resign in November of 2018. Many wonderful brothers and sisters enabled him to remain in the pulpit he loved, helped especially by Dr. Ed Lycett and Bro. Marvin Holladay. His primary desire was for the church to be the hands, feet and voice of Christ in the world.
In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by grandparents, AB and Minnie Hancock, and Joseph and Nancy Pierce.
Survivors include his wife, Kay G. Pierce of Axson, GA; three daughters, Lynn Eslinger (Jason) of Cleveland, TN, Kim Hunter (Tim) of Leesburg, GA and Krista Pierce of Kennesaw, GA; four grandchildren, Zach Eslinger and Alec Eslinger of Cleveland, TN and Evan Hunter and Kaylin Hunter of Leesburg, GA; two brothers, Mike Pierce (Lou) of Axson, GA and Candler Pierce (Maryann) of Tyler TX; two aunts, Betty Pierce of Lakeland, GA and Jessie Hudson of Valdosta, GA; several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral services will be held on Monday December 3, 2018 at 11 am at Stokesville Baptist Church with Dr. Ed Lycett and Brother Marvin Holladay officiating. Interment will follow at Stokesville Church Cemetery.
Sims Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.