Steven James Pierce, 73

Steven James Pierce, 73, of Huntley, Ill., passed away on Tuesday, June 4, 2019, on a dream vacation in Alaska, completing his goal of visiting all 50 states.
He was born on Aug. 2, 1945 in Woodstock, Ill., to James and Mildred Pierce. He graduated from Woodstock High School and Southern Illinois University. Steve married his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Sandra Casey, on Sept. 4, 1965. They enjoyed 53 years of marriage and celebrated their 50th anniversary with all their friends and family. The celebration continued with a family trip to Arizona, where he cherished all of his children and grandchildren from across the country being together.
Steve loved to golf and bowl. He treasured all the friends he made with various leagues. He looked forward to all his competitive games and worked hard to improve his game. He especially liked traveling and most importantly spending time with his family.
Steve joined with Sandra on Chamber outings, McHenry County College events, and Raue Theater events to help these community organizations thrive and grow. He was a skilled plastic injection mold design engineer, most recently at Northern Illinois Mold.
Surviving are his wife, Sandra; his son, Brett (Sylvia Bassett) Pierce of Swannanoa, N.C.; daughter, Rebecca (Dale) Anderson of Forreston, Ill.; nephew Josh Pierce of Oakwood Hills, Ill.; grandchildren Sierra Pierce of Fletcher, N.C., Liza and Audrey Pierce of Asheville, N.C., Jessica, Amanda and Aaron Anderson of Forreston, Ill.; brother Gary (Juanita Cron) Pierce of Woodstock, Ill.; and niece Lisa Pierce and son, Jaxson, of Genoa, Ill.; brother-in-law Ray Leanna, Palmyra, Wis.; and sister-in-law Debora Noonan of Elkhorn, Wis.
He was preceded in death by his father; mother; a sister, Linda Pierce; sister-in-law, Shirley Leanna; and brother-in-law, Gary Noonan.
A visitation will be held on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Schneider, Leucht, Merwin & Cooney Funeral Home, 1211 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock, Ill. The visitation will continue on Wednesday, June 12, 2019, at 10 a.m. until the service at 11 a.m. Interment will be at the McHenry County Memorial Park 11301 Lake Ave., Woodstock, Ill. Lunch to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Steve and Sandra Pierce Manufacturing Scholarship Endowment at McHenry County College. Education was important to Steve as he worked hard to complete his degree before his children, starting his degree later in life. He was committed to helping young people reach their full potential.