Janett Pierce, 56, Dies at Home
Episcopal News Service. January 21, 1988 [88012]
PHILADELPHIA (DPS, Jan. 21) -- Janette S. Pierce, managing editor of The Episcopalian, died unexpectedly on Jan. 16 at her Malvern, Penn., home. She was 56 years old.
Joining The Episcopalian staff in 1973 as news editor, Pierce was a pivotal reporter, writer, and editor during those years. She was promoted to managing editor last December. "She is one of the most widely known and highly respected Episcopal journalists," commented The Episcopalian's publisher Richard L. Crawford, at that time.
She covered a broad sweep of events in the life of the Episcopal Church, including four General Conventions, numerous meetings of the Executive Council, and interim meetings of the House of Bishops. In addition, she had reported on the 1978 Lambeth Conference (the Anglican Ccmmunion's decennial meeting of bishops in London), the 1983 Assembly of the World Council of Churches, and two meetings of the primates of the Anglican Communion.
Until her promotion at the Episcopalian in December, Pierce had also been editor for 16 years of The Diocesan News, the monthly publication of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. She was a former convener of the Episcopal Communicators, the organization of communications professionals in the church, and had been a board member of the Episcopal Women's Caucus. She was currently president of the Philadelphia chapter of the Religious Public Relations Council.
Pierce was a member of the vestry of St. Peter's Church in the Great Valley, in Malvern, and a founder of Well Woman, a nondenominational spirituality group. She was also immediate past president of the Soroptimist International of the Main Line. At her death she was a board member of the Delaware Valley Media Ministry and board member of the Church Training and Deaconess House Fund of the Diocese of Pennsylvania.
Before joining The Episcopalian, Pierce had worked as reporter and news editor at the Suburban & Wayne Times, Wayne, Penn., and for the Episcopal Urban Caucus.
The daughter of William and Janette Gayley Skerret, she was graduated from St. Mary's-in-the Mountain School, Littleton, N.H., and attended Wellesley College.
She is survived by six daughters: Mary Muller, Joan Katsareas, Susan, Deborah Johnson, Katherine and Janette; a son, David; five grandchildren; and a sister, Anne Kirkpatrick.
Contributions in her memory may be sent to the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief, 815 Second Ave, New York, N.Y. 10017, or the Soroptimist International of the Main Line, 12 Grant Lane, Wayne, Penn. 19087.
A Service of Thanksgiving was celebrated Jan. 24 at the church of St. Peter.