Our community lost a great leader last week with the passing of Brooks Piercy. At 93 years old, Brooks was revered by his friends, neighbors and his former students. Yes, former students. In the last few years of his life he was looked after by people who he had taught 30, 40 or 50 years ago. Isn’t that remarkable? Just a few minutes with the man, and it became obvious of his greatness. He was a servant leader.
A name would come up in our conversation and he would tell me what kind of cow this individual had in the agricultural class in 1958. At 93 he could recall with pride the facts and life changes of uncountable people who he had taught. I would sit and listen amazed. He was a teacher that served his students.
For a few years Brooks would visit his beloved wife Vernie at Cleveland Pines. Every day he would visit and help her with her hair and make-up. He was a husband that served his wife.
Even his friends spoke of him with great pride. One friend shared a story about his first day as a teacher, and being mentored by Brooks. Brooks was taking him around to meet the faculty and two teachers came up and just gushed over the new young teacher. “Be careful boy, sometimes when a Lion shows his teeth, he ain’t smiling,” Piercy joked.
One afternoon he and I rode across his property in his Clemson orange jeep and I told him that I wanted to buy it. In his deep voice he laughed that I should get in line. He told me that very few weeks would go buy that he didn’t get an offer to buy that car!
The greatness of Cleveland County is definitely the by-product of legendary people like Brooks Piercy. I worry that as his generation passes, we are not passing on the character and values for which he lived his life. I hope the memory and message of Brooks Piercy, to live a life of Servant Hood, can take a strangle hold of our lives. Brooks would ask us to “Love God with all you heart, soul and mind. And to love your neighbor as yourself.” Go Tigers!
