A candle was lit by Kyla on May 12, 2022 11:58 AM

Message from Stephen

My sincerest condolences go to Geoffrey and the Pierce family. He was a great teacher and a wonderful, charming, erudite, and witty gentleman.

Message from Jeffrey Silbernagel

Just recently, I was looking over old papers from Latin and Greek classes at Jesuit High School (79); and reminiscing of the teachings, stories, and life’s lesson share with me by Prof Pearce. May his soul receive the divine blessing and his memory will always be with me.

A candle was lit by Susan Rwynolds on January 12, 2018 1:16 AM

A candle was lit by Sharon Wakes on January 11, 2018 10:34 PM

Message from Cecilia Rogers and Ray Urwin

Stephen was a most gentle man, as well as a true gentleman, with shining intelligence, extraordinary kindness, and a sly elfin wit. We were honored to have him as part of our extended family. I know I speak for my dear late mother and aunt as well in truly celebrating his life, and the dignity, joy, and generosity he brought to it.

In paradisum deducant te Angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem.

A candle was lit by Cecilia Rogers and Ray Urwin on December 18, 2017 10:49 AM

Message from Francoise McHugh

I feel a tremendous loss with the passing of Prof, who was a dear, dear friend, His kindness, great sense of humor, erudition, wisdom, all within the same person were extraordinary. He loved Byers Green and his family there, the Queen of England (he gave me quite a few dishes with a picture of Elizabeth II, which I will always cherish). He wrote beautiful and profound notes, written with his incredible penmanship. I will always remember my first ever cruise, as he too was one of the passengers and he and Geoffrey made our week memorable. Prof had a way to make people feel good about themselves, and I sure enjoyed the feeling. When he was with someone, friend or student, he was 100% with them, giving his undivided attention. I loved his books, his conversation, his stories, the way he spoke kindly of everyone, sometimes with a little zest of cynicism, True, though he was kind, he was no fool and he knew a lot about life. I will miss him always, tremendously. My thoughts go to Geoff, of course, our dear friend as well, to his friends and his family in England.

A candle was lit by Francoise McHugh on December 16, 2017 1:38 PM

Message from Cherry & Michael Hudson Byers Green, England

Stephen one of the Watson - Pearce Family Stephen has been coming to Byers Green for over 50 years and made his dream come true when he purchased his beloved No.6 Wilkinson Street. He became part of our family in so many ways my mother adopted him, he was just one of us. He will be missed my us and so many many more his friendship was unstinting and eclectic a true one off who bestowed his love to so many . May you sleep the sleep of eternal love. All of your English Family, Cherry xx

Message from Francoise McHugh

Sherry,
Prof spoke of all of you with great love all the time. I sometimes feel I know you and Michael and the rest. He loved his house, and England and the Queen. When Will and Kate got married, I sent him a congratulations card and he was deeply touched. You are right. Prof made you feel like you were the center of the universe when he spoke to you. I cannot believe that he is gone. Such a sweet soul and dear, dear friend. I will always love him, and Geoff and you all.

Message from Byers Green

How good to know, Stephen always spoke with pride about his good friends, he got to know our likes and if an opportunity arose a little gift would be given that would be so appropriate. He was always the " Good Friend" Best Wishes to you and yours
Cherry

A candle was lit by Cherry & Michael Byers Green on December 16, 2017 11:14 AM

A candle was lit by Terry Steohenson on December 16, 2017 11:12 AM

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God bless Stephen, a great friend and a unique, caring and genuine soul. You will be missed by many.

A candle was lit by Terry and Sandra Stephenson UK on December 16, 2017 11:08 AM

A candle was lit by Nancy Stephenson, wear head UK on December 16, 2017 11:05 AM

Message from Hilary, John and Victoria

We will so miss Stephen, especially Santa Christmas Night. Memories live on just put the Gingerbread man on the Christmas tree his present last Christmas. Happy happy memories.

A candle was lit by John, Hilary and Victoria on December 16, 2017 10:51 AM

Message from Andrew Leblanc

I taught with Stephen in the Foreign Language faculties of Jesuit H.S. and Ben Franklin H.S. from the 1980's to 2007. Stephen was a unique educator, always attired in academic robes. He was a very kind and caring individual and extremely popular with students in the many disciplines he taught. I was saddened to learn of his sudden passing and wish to extend condolences to Geoff and well as his family in the U.K. His larger than life "Mr. Chips" personality will be missed by many generations of students whose lives he touched!

Message from Barrett DiPaolo, Coll. Immac. Concept. S. I. MCMLXXXII (Jesuit '82)

DIS MANIBVS
STEPHANO LEE PEARCE
PHILOSOPHIAE DOCTORI
MAGISTRO INLVSTRISSIMO
DOCEBAT ET INSPIRABAT
MAGNA SAPIENTIA MVLTISQVE VIRTVTIBVS FVLGEBAT
LVBENS TE IN GREMIVM RECIPIET TERRA
VIXIT LXX ANNOS
OBIIT PRID. NON. DEC. ANN. MMDCCLXXI AB VRBE CONDITA
NEO AVRELIAE

Message from New Orleans

TIBI GRATIAS AGO MULTAS
NUNQUAM EUM OBLIVISCEMUR

Message from Barrett DiPaolo

VERE. ERAT VNICVS. QVIS ES?

Message from Lucy Smedstad and Mary Fitzgerald

Our deepest condolences to family and friends. When we were all together many years ago, we thoroughly enjoyed the company of Prof Pearce when he would visit our house and we loved his beautiful cards and letters. RIP

A candle was lit by The Prouds, Willington UK. Rest in Peace Stephen xx on December 14, 2017 6:21 AM

Message from Tommy Kurtz, Jesuit'85

One of best teachers I had at Jesuit and even in college and in graduate school. Took a love of the classics because of Dr. Pearce and Father Boudreaux. Loved his wit and sense of humor and his sense of the importance of the love of the classics which will always be timeless. A great influence on my life. My condolences to the family. His impact will live on in the pursuits of his students shaped by the many practicing, on-going "declensions" we pursue daily in our lives. Veni, Vidi, Vici! AMDG and BVMH!

A candle was lit by Tommy Kurtz on December 13, 2017 8:11 PM

A candle was lit by Natalia Troches-University of Holy Cross on December 13, 2017 2:41 PM

Message from Victoria Muth Dahmes, PhD

As Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Holy Cross, I wish to express my condolences to Dr. Pearce's family. He was a wonderful professor and will be dearly missed.

Message from Lydia Fairbanks

We are so deeply saddened by the death of our dear Prof. The world is brighter for his contributions, but we will miss his light.

A candle was lit by Dondra Houston -Student @ University of Holy Cross on December 13, 2017 10:55 AM

A candle was lit by Jane Simoneaux-University of Holy Cross on December 13, 2017 8:35 AM

A candle was lit by QCheryl Strauss on December 13, 2017 8:18 AM

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Several of my sons had Prof at Ben Franklin. Each loved him and benefitted from his wisdom and life lessons. One of them learned about sheet quality and wanted new 400 count sheets! Prof impressed me at parent conferences as an extraordinary teacher who cared about every aspect of his students’ education and lives, and loved people with a great love. The Latin he taught my boys enabled them to excel on the language portion of the SATs. Even those who found learning other languages a challenge loved his Latin classes. Not every man leaves behind a lasting legacy but Prof touched so many lives and truly left the world richer for having been in it, poorer for his loss. Thank you, Prof.

Message from Jonathan H Gardes MD (Jesuit ‘2000)

“Prof” left a lasting impression on me as a student at Jesuit high School some 20 years ago. His classroom was always a favorite. His stories and lessons kept us all captivated. I don’t think I ever had as much fun learning Latin and Greek as I did in those years. I have carried those skills and invaluable life lessons with me throughout my life. I am a better man and better physician because of those innumerable Prof life lessons. Such a great loss for all of us in the Jesuit community and surely a tremendous loss to his friends and loved ones. My sincerest condolescences. A truly unforgettable man and irreplaceable educator.
-Jonathan

A candle was lit by Jonathan H Gardes MD on December 13, 2017 1:40 AM

Message from Michael M. Redmann (JHS '89)

Prof. Pearce was certainly one of the legendary teachers in my life. I only had one Latin class with him at Jesuit, but it was impossible to do anything in the Classics Department and not know of him. I remember him for inspiring a love of learning, an appreciation for scholarship, and an enjoyment of old-fashioned things that some people thought were not worth preserving. He will certainly be remembered in my prayers.

Remembering Prof. calls up such curious memories from my time in his class. Room 231 with all the Latin and Greek decorations. His academic gown. His vest with the watch chain. The black and red fountain pens in his vest pocket. Black-and-white marble cover copybooks. The little caricature drawing that someone had done featuring the "Third Triumvirate" of Prof. Pearce, Fr. Boudreaux, and Mr. Knight. I remember a fair amount of demanding academic work in that setting. I remember being glad that I had such wonderful teachers to help me learn. I remember those days fondly.

Requiem aeternam done ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace. Amen.

A candle was lit by Robert Stouse on December 12, 2017 1:57 PM

Message from Kurt Buchert

Prof was my Greek teacher for 2 years at Jesuit High School. I will always remember him as a kind man with fantastic (and very long) stories. He was such a character with his professor's robe. Rest in Peace Prof.

Message from Kenneth Kitchell

I had the privilege of working with Lee during my years at LSU. He was a tireless booster of the Classics and gave of himself equally to his students and to "the cause." I have fond memories and great thanks to him.

A candle was lit by Michaelmas on December 12, 2017 8:25 AM

Message from Nabil Al-Tikriti

New Orleans has lost a fantastic teacher who left a profound mark on thousands of students at Jesuit High School, Benjamin Franklin School, and elsewhere. I knew Dr. Stephen Lee Pearce (1947-2017) as my Latin and Greek teacher for several years at Jesuit in the early 1980s, and I will remain forever grateful for the myriad lessons on life and scholarship learned in his classes.

As he told us several times, studying Latin and Greek was never about learning "dead languages," but rather about learning how to learn language itself. Truer words were never spoken, and his language learning methodology and wisdom remained with me as I attempted to figure out Arabic, Turkish, Persian, German, and French in later years (with decidedly mixed results).

Beyond language, Dr. Pearce shared with us his life wisdom, ensuring first and foremost that we understood what he informed us were the two primary slogans of the Ancient Greeks: "Know Thyself," and "Nothing in Excess." I have no idea whether these pearls of wisdom sprung more from the Ancient Greeks or "Prof," but in the grand scheme of things, I'm not sure it matters. I've carried those two slogans with me ever since, although perhaps adhering to the former a bit more successfully than the latter.

In addition to his wisdom about how to carry ourselves, Dr. Pearce instilled within those of us who were paying attention a healthy cynicism about authority and its true power, urging us implicitly to stand up for what we believe -- because those in power are no wiser, smarter, or more self-assured than those who maintain the strength of their convictions. He did this via his precise (and humorous) observations about such variant power centers as the ancient Romans, medieval Church, and even the British Empire (and, by extension, our own empire).

Perhaps due to his English origins, we all thought Prof was a consummate fan of English humor, including Monty Python (along with associated films such as The Meaning of Life and The Life of Brian), the Two Ronnies, and Benny Hill. In retrospect, we might have been the fans, in all our sophomoric weakness -- but he allowed us to discuss such obsessions in his presence, from which we often learned what might be proper, and what might not.

Dr. Pearce taught during an era that some might consider an academic "Golden Age" of sorts at Jesuit High School, along with other renowned role models as Fr. Harry Tompson, Fr. Rocca, Harry Clark, Sonny Borey, Charlie McGannon, and several others not named here. Each of these teachers helped raise a generation of young men at Jesuit, and Dr. Pearce was one of the best, among an exalted gallery of such bests.

I, for one, will always remember Dr. Pearce, and remain eternally grateful for his genuine pearls of wisdom.

Yours, Nabil Al-Tikriti

A candle was lit by Nabil Al-Tikriti, JHS 1984 on December 11, 2017 10:05 PM