Dr. Frederick A. Peirce, Jr

Newport, RI - Dr. Frederick Arthur Peirce, Jr., 89, of Newport, RI, died on Sunday, March 30, 2014, at Forest Farm Health Care Center.He was the husband of Jeanne (Cournoyer) Peirce. Born in Hackensack, NJ on December 17, 1924, he was the son of the late Frederick A. Peirce, Sr. and Ruth (Hart) Peirce.Dr. Peirce served in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman in WW II and as a Medical Officer in a Seabee Battalion in the Korean War. He also served in the Naval Reserve and retired as a Commander.He graduated from The Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH then graduated from Harvard College with a BA cum laude in 1946 and Harvard Medical School in 1949. He interned in pediatrics at RI Hospital followed by internships at C.V. Chapin Hospital (Providence) for contagious diseases; Providence Lying-In Hospital for newborn care; Bradley Hospital in East Providence for psychiatric diseases in children; and Childrens Hospital in Boston where he was a Fellow in Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Peirce started his pediatric practice in Providence in 1957 and moved it to Newport in 1960 until his retirement in 1987. He was a member of the Newport School Committee for 6 years and served as chairman. He was the physician for Newport Schools for 14 years and Portsmouth Schools for 5 years. Dr. Peirce was a member of the Blue Shield Board of RI for 9 years, founder of the Newport County Mental Health Clinic and a founder and medical adviser to Head Start in Newport for over 15 years. Dr. Peirce was president of the Newport County Medical Society, a member of the House of Delegates of the RI Medical Society and Chief of Pediatrics at Newport Hospital for 9 years.Dr. Peirce was an avid sailing enthusiast and raced with his family in Narragansett Bay. He and his wife were ardent travelers and enjoyed many trips abroad. Dr. Peirce was a Major in the Newport Artillery and his favorite pastimes were history, chess, bridge and watching sports. Besides his wife of 62 years, Dr. Peirce is survived by his children Karen; Nancy and her husband Warren; and Lorie and her husband Marc. He is also survived by his granddaughters Carleigh and Jacqueline.He was the brother of the late Ronald W. Peirce. The family will hold a private memorial service with burial at the Peirce Cemetery, East Freetown, MA, arranged by Memorial Funeral Home.Donations in his memory may be made to the United Congregational Church Endowment Fund, 524 Valley Road, Middletown, RI 02842 or to the Redwood Library, 50 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840.