David Donald Pierce

David Donald Pierce passed on May 29th, 2026, at the age of 96.

Dave graduated from Statesville High in1947 as a three-sport letterman. He earned his Bachelor’s & Master’s degrees at Appalachian State University, where he played football, and baseball. He later became head baseball coach at Appalachian.

Dave played professional baseball on the minor league teams owned by the Washington Senators and New York Yankees in 1949, ’50, ’51 & ’54. He was a member of the North Carolina All Star Team in 1951. His baseball career was interrupted in 1953 after being drafted into the Army where he served on the 709th Military Police Battalion in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. While in the army he played baseball and won the 1953 Rhine baseball conference all-star medal.

Dave then went into hospitality management. He graduated from Holiday Inn Innkeeper’s school in Memphis, Tenn to open Holiday Inn Elyria Ohio in 1964. He spent the majority of his career as Manager of Holiday Inn Elyria where he raised his family. He later went on to teach Hospitality Management at Horry-Georgetown Technical College and Coastal Carolina University, Myrtle Beach SC until retiring.

David was the son of the late Gurnie Pierce and Lillian Pierce. He was born in Statesville, North Carolina on November 28th, 1929. He is preceded in death by his 3 brothers Frank, Freddie and Dick Pierce and his 2 sisters, Virginia Groff and Henrietta Dagenhart.

Dave married his lifelong love, Jane Elizabeth Thomas in 1956 and was a devoted and loving husband during their 70 years of marriage. Dave is survived by his wife Jane and his 3 children, Mark (Julie) Pierce, Jill Pierce (Kenneth) Armistead and Tammy Pierce (Charlie) Hertel. He is also survived by 6 grandchildren, Jarrett (Marilyn) Pierce, Melinda (Marc) Mackey, Lee (Erica) Hertel, Candice (Ivaylo) Hertel, Jake (Chelsea) Smith, Joshua Smith, and 2 step grandchildren, Scott & Chris Armistead. He is also survived by 12 great grandchildren. Dave was a model to his family for having an extremely cheerful disposition and a kind and gentle spirit.

Dave was a member of River Oaks Community Church, Clemmons, NC.

A funeral service will be held 12:00 pm Monday, June 1, 2026 at Hayworth-Miller Kinderton Chapel, 108 E. Kinderton Way, Advance, NC 27006. Family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. A gathering of friends and family will follow at Breckinridge Clubhouse, 200 S. Peace Haven Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27104. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mountain Valley Hospice, P.O. Box 325, Dobson, NC 27017.