Pearce, Kenneth Duane 1944-2017

PEARCE, HALL, HENEKE, HAN, GRIMM, HOOPER

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 2/16/2017 at 09:01:10

Smith Funeral Home Obituaries
Grinnell, IA

KEN D. PEARCE

Ken Pearce, age 72, of Grinnell, died on Tuesday, February 14, 2017, at University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City.

A celebration of his life will be held 10:30 a.m., Friday, February 17th at St. John's Lutheran Church in Grinnell with Pastor Kathryn Roys officiating. Interment with military honors will follow the service at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell.

Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell and his family will greet friends from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Memorials may be designated to the St. John's Lutheran Church or to Soldier's Best Friend, an organization to provide therapeutic companion dogs for the United States military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). For more information, go to www.soldiersbestfriend.org. Memorials may be mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, Iowa 50112. Condolences may be shared with his family online at www.smithfh.com.

Kenneth Duane Pearce was born on May 26, 1944, in Grinnell, Iowa to Harold and Lucille (Hall) Pearce. He was raised in Grinnell and graduated from Grinnell High School with the class of 1962.

On December 5, 1964, he was united in marriage to Darla Heneke at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Grinnell. The couple was blessed with a son, Timothy and a daughter, Renee. Ken honorable served his country in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, where he received one of the highest honors in the military; the Purple Heart. He returned home from the service and worked at area implement dealers and sold seed corn in Illinois and Nebraska. He worked as the plant manager at Tall Corn Hybrids in Grinnell and later retired from Certain Teed in Grinnell in 2001. He then worked for Engineered Plastic Components and Ashing Machine and Tool Company in Grinnell.

Ken was an outdoorsman who loved fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, racing go carts at the Newton Track, and going to sprint car races in Knoxville. His treasure was his family, especially his grandchildren. He loved taking the grandchildren fishing and grilling for the family get togethers. He will be remembered for his sense of humor, his kind, gentle way, and for the love of his family.

Ken is survived by his wife of 52 years, Darla Pearce of Grinnell; son, Tim Pearce (Rebecca Grimm) of Waukee, Iowa; daughter, Renee Pearce Han of Grinnell, Iowa; grandchildren, Britny Pearce, Jordan (Jamie) Grimm, Damian Pearce, Keaton Pearce, Callum Han and Liam Han; and sister, Karen Hooper of Phoenix, Arizona. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Eldon Pearce and two nieces.