Charles E. Pierce

Longtime Herald-Tribune managing editor C. Edward Pierce, a stickler for accuracy who led the newsroom through dynamic growth in the 1970s and '80s, died on Wednesday in hospice care in Clearwater. He was 91.

Edward Pierce was managing editor of the Herald- Tribune from 1969 to 1985.

Pierce had been managing editor of The Miami News, an evening paper. Herald-Tribune editor Waldo Proffitt knew Pierce would fit in here.

"He was a fireball," Proffitt said. "He had a great deal to do with the fact that the Herald-Tribune became a really fine newspaper."

Pierce served as managing editor from 1969 to 1985.

Though he lived in Sarasota for more than 40 years, Pierce always referred to himself as a Georgia boy, with a subtle Southern wit that made him a favorite to emcee charitable events.

After he retired, Pierce continued to serve the community as president of the boards of the Rotary Club and the Boys & Girls Club. Pierce was also active with the Salvation Army.

A staunch Democrat and Georgia University Bulldogs fan, he did not mind being in the minority and taking the occasional jab.

"He was funny, insightful," says his son-in-law, Steve Cole. "Not afraid to call 'em like he saw 'em and express it in a kind, but funny way.

"He both received and delivered teasing."

Pierce may also have the distinction of being the only man ever to tee up a 5-iron from atop the Great Wall of China.

An avid golfer, he decided on a lark to shoot a ball off the wall during a family trip in 2000.

Pierce wrapped the top of the club with duct tape and used it as a cane until he picked a good spot for his shot.

"We've got a picture of it to prove it," Cole said.

Born in Augusta, Ga., on May 24, 1920, Charles Edward Pierce was one of six children.

He met his wife, Clyde B. Pierce, in school in Decatur, Ga., when they were both teenagers. They had been married for 54 years when she died in 1997.

His survivors include daughter Becky Cole of Clearwater, three grandsons and three great-grandchildren.

Pierce was a World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Army's Signal Corps. He learned to take photos for his job in the Army, serving stateside.

He would later joke that he defended the State of Kentucky from the Axis powers.

Pierce parlayed his photo experience into work as a newspaperman, first in Georgia and then at The Miami News.

In 2009, Pierce talked about his passion for newspapering with an interviewer for National Public Radio.

"I love the idea of getting out a paper every day," he said. "I've never put out a newspaper that I couldn't have done a better job if we'd have had another two hours."

Photos that Pierce shot of boxer Muhammad Ali -- including one from Ali's historic title bout with Sonny Liston in 1964 -- hung on the wall in his office at the Herald-Tribune.

Later in his life, when the Boys & Girls Club needed items for auctions, Pierce would always donate a few of the Ali shots.

"It raised a lot of money to help kids," said former Boys & Girls Club CEO Mack Reid. "He loved to have fun, but he also wanted to get the job done. He was a delight to work with."

Pierce's family is planning a memorial service at the Salvation Army in Sarasota, date and time to be announced.

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