Amherst, Edward Robert Pierce, 91, passed away Wednesday morning May 7, 2014 at the Baystate Hospital in Springfield following a brief illness. He was married on June 4, 1949 to his beloved wife of 65 years, Virginia Louise (Julian) Pierce. He was born June 15, 1922 in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada, to the late Coleman E. and Nona G. (Porter) Pierce and would have celebrated his 92^nd birthday this year.

He graduated from the St Stephen High School, and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force serving overseas until the end of WWII. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1950 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He worked as a quality control officer in the aviation industry in the US, and Canada, until his retirement.

Edward was an avid skydiver for many years with the Sky Knights, and a member of the Auxiliary Police Force in Enfield, Connecticut.

Edward is survived, and will be deeply missed by his wife, Virginia. He was predeceased by his two children Robert Pierce and Marilyn (Pierce) Costantino, his brother Coleman V. Pierce and his brother-in-law Raymond Cornish. He is survived by his grandson Paul Costantino, and his wife Melissa, two great grandsons Michael and Joseph of Long Island, NY, his sister Christina Cornish of Littleton, MA, his sister-in-law, Marion Pierce of St. Stephen, his sister-in-law Barbara Carpenter and her husband Allan of Amherst, and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be Thursday, May 15, at 11:00 a.m. at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. Burial will be private. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.