11 months ago
40
CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Family and friends gathered astatine The Well Community Church Tuesday to grant the beingness of retired Fresno County Sheriff Richard Pierce.
Pierce died connected Aug. 21 after serving 2 presumption from 1999 to 2007. He leaves down 5 children and soon-to-be 14 grandchildren.
He was 80 years old.
“Today we observe not lone a bully man, but a large man, a large husband, a large father, and a large sheriff,” Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said.
Loved ones picture him arsenic an aggravated yet just man.
“There are immoderate truly bully things that Sheriff Pierce did, and 1 of them was the Educational School Safety Program. He was instrumental successful getting the Take Home Vehicle programme implemented for deputies, and, due to the fact that of Sheriff Pierce, we were issued patrol rifles,” Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni said.
Zanoni says galore of these programs are inactive successful spot arsenic Pierce’s fingerprint connected the county.
“As overmuch arsenic helium dedicated himself to his profession, my father's top pridefulness and joyousness was us: his children and grandchildren,” Pierce’s lad Michael Pierce said.
The household reflected connected Pierce’s strictness astatine location and the mode helium trained them from an aboriginal property to spell into instrumentality enforcement.
Two of Pierce’s sons enactment for the Fresno Police Department.
Tuesday’s speeches were emotional, arsenic loved ones reflected connected his integrous character.
Retired Sheriff Margaret Mims succeeded Pierce and says helium believed successful her imaginable erstwhile others didn’t.
“We wage a terms for heavy love, and that terms is heavy grief. No substance however overmuch clip we person to hole for the time idiosyncratic we emotion leaves us, we inactive don't consciousness acceptable to accidental goodbye, adjacent though it whitethorn beryllium a alleviation from suffering,” Mims said.
Amidst the grief, they recovered comfortableness successful Pierce’s assemblage of faith.
“25 years ago, helium decided to commencement attending religion and studying God's Word… I judge dada knew that he, his and his assemblage that helium serves would beryllium amended disconnected with a antheral of God astatine the helm,” Pierce’s lad Jeff Pierce said.
“When Richard got to the gates of Heaven, helium heard a large and thunderous dependable say, ‘Well done, bully and faithful servant. Enter into the Kingdom of God,’” Dyer said.
His household encourages the assemblage to rejoice implicit his beingness with them.
They accidental helium had a booming, unforgettable laughter and would privation others to beryllium joyful too.
