Donald Zay Pierce, 93, of Rochester, MN, died on August 18, 2026, at Meadow Lakes Senior Living Facility.

Don was born February 22, 1933, in Vanzant, MO, to Thomas Zay Pierce and Mable Mary (Osborn) Pierce.

Don set out on his own at the age of 14 to work on his uncle's farm in Kansas. From there, he followed the wheat field harvest to Oregon. He enlisted in the Navy in 1953 during the Korean War. He obtained his GED while serving in the Navy. He was stationed in California, where he obtained the rank of a Fire Control Technician, First Class. After being discharged from the Navy, he moved to Kansas City, MO, where he was employed in a variety of positions. While in Kansas City, he met Edna Faye Holmes on a blind date. Five months later, they were married on August 24, 1957, in Alton, MO. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to Springfield, MO where Don attended college. They then moved to Rolla, MO, where Don attended the Missouri School of Mines. He graduated in the top 10 of his class with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Following graduation, they moved to Wichita, KS, where he worked for Boeing on B-52s. They then moved to St. Louis, MO, where he worked on F4 Fighters for McDonald Douglas.

In 1965, they moved to Rochester, MN, where Don worked for Waters Connolly. He then began his 20-year career at IBM. He worked as a senior project manager until he retired from IBM in 1987. Following his retirement, he earned his Certified Financial Planners license.

When they moved to Rochester, he fulfilled his passion of fishing for walleye. Among his other hobbies were traveling, reading, yard work, finances, and working on computers. Don loved God and had a passion for welcoming people at the door as they entered the church. He gives all of the glory to his Lord and Savior for all he was able to accomplish during his life.

Don is survived by his wife, Edna (Faye) Pierce, sons, Doug (Darlene) Pierce, Greg (Karen) Pierce, and daughter, Jannell (Gary) Leffler; seven grandchildren; and nineteen great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, and his twin sister.

The funeral will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at Calvary Baptist Church, 5905 Silas Dent Rd. NW, Rochester, MN. Visitation will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the church. The burial will be in Preston, MN at The Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery.