Lynn Warner Pierce

― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea

It is such an incredibly difficult task to abridge a life like Lynn lived into mere paragraphs. Let it be said that he lived life passionately; immersing himself in whatever task or responsibility was laid before him. He loved aviation, history and coaching, and was never satisfied with the attained. He possessed the kindest of hearts with a bright smile and thoughtful eyes. He had an undeniable talent for weaving excitement into any insipid conversation of history or politics, leaving the intended audience waiting in trepidation during his pauses. He brought to life the battles of the Civil War with his grand hand gestures and animated expressions. His intellectualism and hunger for learning were astounding for a man that grew up in the Fourth Ward of Houston, Texas. Lynn was a generous and kind man, who was unselfishly concerned for the welfare of others. He donated his time and money to the youth in his community, choosing to be a mentor and coach to countless numbers of young men and women. But above all he strove to be a positive father figure for his children, giving up personal success and monetary gain for countless hours spent at basketball and baseball tournaments. He was and always will be remembered, as more than a man to those who loved him, and his passing leaves an immense void for all that knew him.

Lynn Warner Pierce was born in Houston, Texas on May 20, 1956 to Mildred and Homer Pierce. Lynn grew up in Houston with his siblings Tommy Kitchen Jr., Ronald Eugene Pierce, and M. Cecile Beltran. While growing up Lynn participated in Civil Air Patrol and was awarded the General Billy Mitchell Award on March 27, 1973 and the Amelia Earhart Award on May 31, 1974, recognizing him for his “heroism, service, and program achievements.” He graduated from Sam Houston High School in May of 1974, and immediately enlisted in the United States Air Force on December 4, 1974. During his enlistment he participated in bombing missions over Vietnam. He met his soul mate and partner, Dana Bradley, in November of 1974, and they were married on May 27, 1978. Lynn graduated from San Jacinto College on May 9, 1980, receiving his AAS in Aviation Science: Aircraft Maintenance Management. After finishing the first step in his on-going education in aviation, Lynn and Dana welcomed their first child, Tamara Lynn, on August 7, 1981. Their son, Adam Warner, arrived on April 4, 1985, completing their family. Lynn graduated in June of 1989 with his B.S. in Aviation Management.

Lynn worked for Texas International and American Airlines prior to the beginning of his 24-year career with the Federal Aviation Administration. He joined the FAA in 1986, and was assigned at the DFW-CMO on the American Airlines certificate as an Aviation Safety Inspector, and in 1990 he joined the Seattle Aircraft Evaluation Group (SEA-AEG) as a Maintenance Review Board Chairman. Lynn’s passion for aviation led him to be awarded the AXO Spirit Award in November of 1992, as well as the regional and national 2005 Vision Award in Flight Standards. 2005 proved to be a rewarding year for Lynn when he also was awarded the 2005 Gartner Award for Business Innovation for his development of an IT program for the FAA. In 2010 he again won the Northwest Mountain Region Vision Award. Additionally, in his service to the FAA, he traveled to many countries of the world, including China, Russia, France, Brazil, Amsterdam, Austria and Easter Island.

Lynn’s love of aviation was surpassed only by his desire to coach. He spent many years coaching youth basketball, baseball and soccer. He spent countless hours devoting his time to the Red Wings Girl’s Basketball Club, Rocket Boy’s Basketball Team, Babe Ruth Puyallup All Stars Baseball Team, as well as the Strikers Boy’s Soccer Team. He provided the mentorship and tools needed to ensure that many of his players were able to attend college with a sports scholarship. His unique coaching style and commitment to excellence was recognized in June 1999 when the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) presented him with an award for his 400th career victory in basketball.

Lynn is survived by his wife, Dana Pierce; son, Adam Pierce; daughter, Tamara Hudson and her husband Matthew Hudson; granddaughter, Olivia Hudson and grandson, Pierce Hudson; brother, Ronald Pierce and sister, Cecile Beltran.

A graveside service will be held Friday, August 23, 2013 at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington, beginning at 1:30 p.m. to honor a life well-lived.