Obituary of William H. Peirce

William Harold Peirce, age 91, of Birmingham, MI, passed away Sunday, May 8, 2016 at Arden Courts of Bingham Farms where he received exceptional care. A long-time Birmingham pediatrician, he also practiced and taught at Beaumont (Royal Oak) and St. Joseph Mercy (Pontiac) hospitals. He was born in Gallipolis, Ohio to Reverend Robert William Peirce and Pearl Mae Chambers and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts along with two siblings, Robert Jr. (deceased) and Marian Ruth. In 1955 he married Barbara Lawson in a ceremony performed by his father, an American Baptist minister. His wife preceded him in death by nine years. He is survived by three sons, William Lawson (Melissa Bair), David Ballantyne (Diane LaGaipa) and Robert Seward, and six grandchildren, Hilary, Andrew, Adam, Caitlin, Leah and Alexandra. Dr. Bill is a graduate of Denison University in Granville, OH, as were his father, sister and brother. While at Denison, he simultaneously served as a Navy Cadet. Following his graduation from the University of Michigan (UofM) Medical School in 1948, he interned at Detroit Receiving Hospital, and later returned to Ann Arbor to complete his Pediatric Residency. From 1951 to 1953 he served as a flight surgeon in the Air Force. Later while teaching in the Uof M Pediatrics Department, he took care of polio patients in iron lungs and participated in the testing of Dr. Salk's polio vaccine. In 1955 he joined Dr. Fritz Adams in a busy and successful pediatrics practice in Birmingham, caring for three generations of families. He was later joined by Dr. Peter Muller upon Dr. Adams' retirement. Dr. Bill was an active member of First United Methodist Church of Birmingham for nearly forty years and a strong supporter of Cranbrook Schools and Cranbrook Institute of Science. He was a member of the Birmingham Rotary Club, Senior Men's Club and Orchard Lake Country Club. Dr. Bill took great pleasure in family vacations to Glen Lake, MI and Naples, FL and enjoyed participating with his sons in the YMCA Indian Guides Program. He found pleasure in numerous activities including photography, bridge, cross-country skiing, hiking, bird-watching, tennis and golf, and was particularly fond of watching UofM football and hockey. Dr. Bill will long be remembered for his positive attitude, optimism, care and concern for others. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to First United Methodist Church of Birmingham, 1589 W. Maple Road, Birmingham, Michigan 48009.