Brenda M. Pearce

Brenda Lee McIntosh Pearce, 68 of Germantown, TN, passed away peacefully at Methodist Hospital Germantown on Wednesday, February 28, due to complications of congestive heart failure and Alzheimer’s. Brenda was the only daughter of Hubert and Martha McIntosh. Born in Asheville, NC, and raised in Burnsville, NC, until the age of five, at which time the family moved to Carolina Beach, NC. Brenda did not have siblings, but was fortunate to have many cousins that she considered brothers and sisters. A 1967 graduate of New Hanover High (Wilmington, NC), and she obtained her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1972. The summer following college graduation, Brenda and her two best friends packed up a Fiat with a tent and $200 dollars each to discover the entire eastern seaboard from Montreal to Miami (with a detour to New Orleans). The group camped out and splurged on a hotel every few days over the summer. This adventure was one that stuck with her through the years and many of her life lessons conveyed to her children were derived from this trip.

Following her trip, Brenda was a sixth grade teacher for one year. The following year, Brenda decided to not teach and prepare for admission to graduate school. She got a job as a receptionist at Needham Animal Hospital in Wilmington, NC. At this animal hospital, she met her future husband, James R. Pearce, DVM. They married in 1974 at Carolina Beach, NC, following the wedding they moved to Memphis, TN to establish a veterinary practice. They renovated a former gas station and converted it to what is now Stage Road Animal Hospital in 1974. Brenda’s role at the animal hospital was as an office manager and was something that she enjoyed very much. She especially loved the employees (her “girls”), the clients, and their pets.

Brenda was also a mom to Laura, Jeff, and Michael (all born within three years) where much of her time was spent raising them which was a constant work in progress. She frequently referred to the children as her three ring circus. Brenda was an excellent mother and really never seemed surprised that one of the three would forget a last minute project, or request to read just one more book at bedtime, or be informed that she needed to bake a particular cookie in a special shape the night before they were needed or someone would completely forget a permission slip that would be announced 10 minutes before arriving at school, all of which she handled with grace. Birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas were celebrated with such enthusiasm and she always made them so very special.

Brenda was a beach girl through and through, so much so, in high school there were many days she would wear her swimsuit underneath her clothes to head to the beach following school. She loved Disney movies and went to Disney World several times including on her honeymoon. It was important to her that her children appreciated music and art. Brenda was extremely artistic and especially loved collecting pottery and art made from various artists from North Carolina. She absolutely loved summer trips to visit family in the NC mountains and the beach every summer. She was a fantastic photographer, and she took thousands of photos of the family over the years. She and the family took countless trips across the U.S. in two different Suburbans that both had well over 200,000 miles. She was especially proud to share her 1960-70s music with her kids. She made sure that the entire family saw Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones in the early 1990s. Brenda loved animals and in 2003, raised 11 Labrador puppies born from the family Labrador, Lucy. From that litter, Brenda kept two puppies (Scout and Norman) that were constantly by her side over the years up until she moved into the Gardens of Germantown memory care in July 2017.

Brenda was preceded in death by her father Hubert McIntosh. Brenda leaves behind her husband, James R. Pearce, DVM, her daughter Laura Moore (Bob), her sons Jeff and Michael, her mother Martha Evans McIntosh and countless cousins. Funeral services will occur in Burnsville, NC with burial at Academy Cemetery (Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home). Charities the family supports: Mid-South Greyhound Adoption Option (www.msgao.org), Greyhound Pets of America Nashville (www.gpanashville.org), Guiding Dogs for the Blind (www.guidingeyes.org), Warrior Canine Connection (www.warriorcanineconnection.org) or Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org). The family would like to thank the staff of The Gardens of Germantown, Methodist Hospital Germantown, and Methodist Hospice for their tireless care and support during this time.