Dorothy Louise Pierce (Moorehead), born in 1941 in PA to Andrew S. and Margaret E. Moorehead, lived a life marked by education, service, family, and community involvement.
A dedicated lifelong learner, she graduated from Palisade High School in Palisade, CO, in 1959, earned her BA from Ottawa University in Ottawa, KS, in 1963, and later received her MA from CMSU in 1994.
She devoted her career to elementary education, teaching in Kansas, New York, Maryland, and Missouri. She spent 21 years teaching at Appleton City Elementary School, where she touched the lives of many students and families.
She married Dr. Robert Phillips in 1964; the marriage later ended in divorce. In 1988, she married Joe Pierce, with whom she shared her life until his passing in 2012.
She was the beloved mother of Scott Phillips and life partner, Elizabeth Ferry of Silver Spring, MD, and Sarah Phillips of Appleton City, MO. She was also stepmother to Darryl Pierce and Sandra Greufe; step grandmother to Jessie Snyder, Megan Davila and her husband Jeremy, and Seth Greufe; and step-great-grandmother to Lucus, Micah and Charlotte Gifford, Harper, Ryle and Nora Davila. She is also survived by her sisters, Marcia Finke and family and Mary Roberts and family.
A faithful and active member of Appleton City Trinity United Methodist Church, she gave generously of her time and talents. She was involved with Jr. Achievers, GFWC, and the Missouri Retired Teachers Assoc. She also served on the Appleton City Library Board, the Appleton City Landmarks Restoration Museum Board, and as Trinity Methodist Historian.
Her life reflected a deep commitment to education, family, faith, and community. She will be remembered with gratitude by those who knew and loved her.
Memorial Service, 1 PM Sat., Aug. 29, 2026 at Holy Trinity Church, Appleton City, MO, (214 E. 3rd St.); Visitation, preceding the service from 12 – 1 PM; Memorials, AC Backpack Ministry or AC Library; arr. Hill & Son Funeral Home, Appleton City, MO (660-476-2135).
