JOHN "JOHNNY" LOUIS PIERCE, II

John “Johnny” Louis Pierce, II., 80 years old, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, November 7, 2022. He is now home with his Lord and Savior.

Johnny was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 28, 1942. He attended Hall High School until his junior year when he moved to Navasota to finish his education at Navasota High School. Johnny lived with his grandparents until graduation.

Johnny was a self-made driven man. He worked hard and put himself through college. He attended and graduated from The University of Texas and majored in Petroleum Land Management. Johnny attended and graduated law school at South Texas School of Law in Houston where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence/Juris Doctor and has been a member of the State Bar of Texas since 1968. Johnny was a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer practicing in several areas of law including Family law, Real Estate law, Estate Planning, Consumer Law, and various others. He practiced law with several law firms in Houston until he decided to branch out and have his own practice. Johnny was a very successful attorney and eventually opened another office in the small town of Navasota where the Pierce family was from. He managed to travel weekly from Houston to Navasota keeping both offi ces, but later realized his love for the country life far exceeded the city life. Johnny closed the Houston office and moved permanently to Navasota in 1975.

Johnny loved farming and ranching. He learned this from his grandfather and his father. When he was young, he would go to Navasota and visit his grandparents in the summers and eventually, his parents moved from Little Rock back to Navasota. The Pierce’s had family land in Courtney on the Brazos River bottom where they had horses, cattle and farmed cotton, hay, corn and whatever else they could grow.

Johnny turned his love for horses into a business. He was a member of the Texas Quarter Horse Association and the Texas Thoroughbred Association. His 2007 homebred horse “Mystery Classic”, named Texas’ Best and winner of 5 consecutive stakes, was the Texas Thoroughbred Association “Horse of the Year” and “Champion Older Horse.” Johnny was a Lifetime Member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on the Speakers Committee.

Johnny loved his daughter, Kristy Lynn, his grandson, John Louis, and the Lord. From an early age, he would go to the First Baptist Church every Sunday with his grandmother and they would sit on the front row. Johnny did the same with his grandson from when he was 3 weeks old. They took their final walk together down the aisle of the First Baptist Church as “Pa-Pa” and grandson the morning of November 7, 2022.

Johnny loved all sports. If there was a ball, bat, golf club, as well as horse racing, Johnny did it. He loved the New York Yankees, and his beloved Texas Longhorns. As you all know, Johnny bled orange. When he fixed up his grandparents 100 year old family home, he said go ahead do whatever there needs to be done remodeling the house, but his only request is that he had to have orange carpet all throughout. Johnny played baseball and football at Navasota High School and was a walk-on Quarterback at The University of Texas where he also played baseball. After his grandson was born and was old enough for T ball, Johnny was his Coach for all of his teams throughout his youth teaching him all aspects of the game. Johnny coached Little League and basketball in Navasota and College Station including the Upward basketball team for the First Baptist Church of Navasota. He was also President of the College Station Little League. Johnny was an inspirational Coach and mentor for so many young athletes starting their journey in sports and it gave him such pride and honor to be able to help them. It became a part of Johnny’s life. He was so proud and hoped in some small way he would impact their lives going forward.

Johnny had one daughter, Kristy Lynn, whom he loved and adored. She was his rock, and he was hers. Johnny took her everywhere he went and they were inseparable. Their every Sunday ritual was going to church, eating lunch, riding horses in the pasture and watching the sunset. He was her hero. He once took her to court with him and she second chaired him through a trial against the State of Texas that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Kristy grew up loving the farm, horses and cattle just as her dad did. Johnny taught her all there was to know and learn about ranching. After graduating from Texas A&M University, Kristy moved back to Navasota to help her dad in his law office and to help at the farm. She quickly learned what she needed to do to help her daddy, so it wasn’t long before she was handling all the affairs at the farm. She was definitely her daddy’s little girl. They were two peas in a pod. Kristy’s son, and Johnny’s grandson and apple of his eye, John Louis, is learning the business and will continue to carry out the Pierce generation of ranching.

Johnny was preceded in death by his parents, John L. Pierce and Eva Dell Goudy Pierce, and longtime caretaker of Kristy, Gussie “Mama” Burrell.

He leaves behind his loving daughter, Kristy Lynn Pierce; his adoring grandson, John Louis Pierce, Ill.; John Louis’ father Kyle Wietzikoski; former spouse, Carolyn Pierce Ricca; brother, William (Bill} Pierce, and wife Luann Pierce; nieces, Ashley Pierce Clawges and husband, Ryan, Kelley Pierce and their children; as well as first cousin, Dian Pierce Fultz Craft, Marian Pierce Fabian and numerous other Pierce family members.

A visitation was Tuesday, November 15, at the First Baptist Church in Navasota from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with the funeral, Wednesday, November 16, at the First Baptist Church in Navasota at 3:00 p.m.

Burial will follow at Oakland Cemetery in Navasota where Johnny will be laid to rest in the Pierce Family plot next to his father.