Robert “Beau” Pierce

Robert Lincoln Pierce, known to all simply as Bo or Beau, the second of three sons, was born in Norwalk, Connecticut on July 11, 1947 to Henry Clay Pierce and Lucille Ross Pierce. While he was in early grade school, the family moved first to Washington D.C. and then with his father’s family business, American Standard Inc, they relocated to the mid-west in 1952 and made Kansas City their new home. The family was active at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church where he always remembered fondly being a young acolyte attending three services on Sunday morning in his high school years.

Beau attended and enjoyed good times and friends at Pembroke Country Day School graduating in 1966 and was an escort in the Jewel Ball the following year. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Kansas in Lawrence in 1971 with a double major in Anthropology and Political Science. While at K.U., through photojournalism, Beau was introduced to cinematography and worked on several documentaries for the Bureau of Child Research and under a federal grant he joined the Audio Visual Department staff at a Kansas University Affiliated Facility in Parsons Kansas, working in film making, photography and assisting with the beginning of the Special Olympics Program. Having married and started a family, in 1974 he attended a Creative Photography Seminar in Yosemite Valley with Ansel Adams and began his career as a free-lance Commercial Photographer, allowing him to photograph and work with people from all walks of life from bull riders and major rock personalities to presidents Carter and Reagan. In 1987 he co-founded the Somerset Ballet Center, with his wife Jane, a former ballerina. Beau managed the business end and it flourished and became one of the top classical ballet schools in the area. After Jane’s passing, Somerset Ballet was later acquired by the Kansas City Ballet in 2002.

As a man of many talents and interests, Beau was a life member of the American Quarter Horse Ass., the Foundation Quarter Horse Ass., the Kansas Horse Council, as well as a board member of the Saddle and Sirloin Club. Beau loved the water and sea creatures and enjoyed scuba diving from Bora Bora and Moorea to the Cayman Islands, becoming a Master Scuba Instructor. From horseback riding to fly fishing, snow skiing, jumping rope, cycling, swimming, karate, game and trap shooting, hunting in Montana with his father and brothers, and family time spent in summers sailing in Harbor Springs Michigan, Beau did it all. He was fond of saying, “I have a lot of hobbies”.

He always told everyone that he got lucky twice, for in later years, he was able to pursue his interests in antique coins, guns and clocks and travel around the globe with his wife Laura, while still finding time to be a friend to all and a devoted and wonderful husband, father, stepfather and grandfather. He loved riding his faithful horse Dee Jay and, with a certain twinkle in his eye, was great fun and the life of the party. He will be very missed and the family is grateful to everyone at Ascend Hospice and Claridge Court Skilled Nursing, who’s wonderful care of him meant so much to us. Beau is preceded in death by his wife Jane Bair Pierce, his parents and older brother Henry Pierce Jr. He leaves behind his loving wife Laura, daughter Lindsay, son Justin, and brother George (Kathy) Pierce and stepsons Dylan and Kirk (Meggin), grandchildren Penelope, Courtland, Kirk Jr., Fiona and Kenzie Wetherill. A private service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Special Olympics at support.specialolympics.org or a charity of your choice.

A private service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Special Olympics at support.specialolympics.org or a charity of your choice.