Leslie Wayne Pierce   born: June 22, 1951  -   died: November 27, 2018,   Age 67   Hayesville, Cherokee Co, NC

Leslie W. Pierce Obituary | 6/22/1951- 11/27/2018 

SAN ANTONIO, TX – Leslie “Wayne” Pierce, a Vietnam War era veteran, passed away Tuesday, November 27, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas.

Wayne was a native of Portsmouth, VA, Gatesville, NC and Hayesville, NC.  He was a pharmacy tech in the Navy and a graduate of the College of Albemarle.  He was a member of the Hayesville Church of God.  Wayne enjoyed traveling, movies, hunting, reading, playing checkers and spending time with his family.  He was a NC state checker champion as well as a champion athlete who excelled in track and wrestling and held the state record for fastest mile, 4 minutes and 16 seconds.  Wayne owned and operated his own tree service company for 37 years and specialized in the removal of dangerous trees.

Wayne was the son of Viola Hodges Pierce of Ahoskie, NC and the late Leslie Elwood Pierce of Gatesville, NC.  He was survived by his beloved children, Rachel and Quinton Pierce, his ex-wife, Wendy Pierce, and son-in-law, Carolos Sanchez, all of San Antonio, TX, as well as his 14-year-old rat terrier, Queenie.  He is also survived by all of his siblings, Steve Pierce, Joan Evans, and Connie Pierce all of Ahoskie, NC, and Terry Pierce of Florida; as well as several nieces and nephews.

Wayne will be laid to rest in the mountains of Hayesville, NC beside his late wife Kathleen Ledford Pierce.  Townson-Rose Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.

Published in Asheville Citizen-Times on December 2, 2018, cherokeenc.fetchyournews.com December 3, 2018, and Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald - 1:55 pm Wednesday, December 5, 2018   Link

Wayne played many checker games with Ben Jones, Cecil Lowe, Merle Vaughan, and Raleigh Johnson from the Ahoskie area, and an active NC & VA tournament player in the 80's - 1999, winning 9th place in Minors in The 2001 ACF - US GAYP Nationals. A life-time member of ACF and NCCA. He was a good friend and played checkers with Phil Brown of Elizabeth City, NC and later bought a large portion of his library. Wayne was a frequent played at Carpet Mart in Murphy, NC. Wayne moved from 269 Gospel Circle, Hayesville around 2011, to the Eastern part of NC (Gatesville), and a few years later to San Antonio, TX to be closer to his family, and where he died.

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