November 20, 1929-May 29, 2025

Glenn Q. Pierce, Jr   passed away on May 29, 2025 at the age of 95. He was born on November 20, 1929 at Wesley Hospital in Wichita, Kansas to Mildred C (Brown) Pierce and Glenn Q. Pierce, Sr. The family moved to Tribune, Kansas shortly after his birth and resided there until his third birthday, when they moved to Denver, Colorado. His father's manufacturing business failed during the Great Depression and they left Denver for Carman, Oklahoma in November of 1940, where they lived with his maternal grandparents until September of the following year. They moved to Arkansas City, Kansas and remained there until June of 1942, when they moved to Augusta, Kansas and from there to Olathe, Kansas in December of 1943, where he completed high school in 1948 before entering the University of Kansas. He enlisted in United States Air Force in January of 1951 and served four years, including time on Okinawa during the Korean War. He achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant.

He returned to K.U. in 1955 and completed a B.A in Speech and Drama in 1957, and M.A in Speech and Drama in 1957 and went on to the University of Illinois - Champaign-Urbana, where he completed a Ph.D. in Speech (Theatre) in 1960.

His academic career included service as Director of Theatre at California State University, Northridge, California, and 21 years on faculty at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri (now the University of Central Missouri). He served as president of the Faculty Council, President of the Faculty Senate, three years as Mayor of Warrensburg, two years as President, Warrensburg Renewal Association, two years as President of the Warrensburg Community Betterment Association, President of the Warrensburg Country Club, and was honored as an outstanding community leader by the Missouri House of Representatives in 1977.

Upon his retirement from UCM in 1984 he taught in the Department of Theatre and Film at the University of Kansas and the following year at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. He was invited back to K.U. in 1986 to serve as Professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Film, where he remained until his retirement in 1992.

He served as vice-president, president and later as the Executive Secretary of the Midwest Theatre Conference for four years. He was one of only nine fellows of the conference.

Upon his retirement he and his wife, Gunilla, bought a lot in Olathe and built a home there. In Olathe he served as President, Olathe Rotary, was a Paul Harris Fellow, nine-time President, Olathe Arts Alliance, on the Board of Directors of the Olathe Community Theatre Association, vice-chair of the Olathe Public Art and Culture Commission, the advisory board of the Convention and Visitors Bureau and numerous other community activities. He was an unsuccessful candidate on the Democratic ticket for the Kansas State Senate in 2000.

Following his retirement Glenn was active as director of stage plays and as an actor. He appeared in a CBS film, The Monday After the Miracle, with Roma Downey and Billy Campbell, and in Ang Lee's epic, Ride with the Devil, with Tobi McGuire, Skeet Ulrich and Jewel. He also appeared in the ABC mini-series. Amerika. He appeared in numerous TV commercials and served as a model for Hallmark Cards and the Kansas City Star.

He looked with amazement at the events of his lifetime, The Great Depression, with all its angst, Prohibition, in all its futility, World War II, and the coming of America's Great Generation, which led him to join the United States Marine Reserves when he was 17. He saw the explosion of the computer-information age, the implosion of the American economy, the lives and deaths of Albert Einstein, Adolph Hitler, Ghandi, Helen Keller, Churchill, Roosevelt, Dr. Suess, A.A. Milne, Charles Schultz, Blondie and Dagwood and the appearance of women and people of color in the mainstream of American political leadership, the creation of a Jewish homeland, the frequent failures of American diplomacy and successes in numerous wars.

He is survived by his wife, Gunilla, his two daughters, Kirsten I. Fenwick (Keith) and  Victoria "Tori" Hunter (Brad), three grandchildren Christina, Ashley, Ryan and great grandson Trey; bonus daughters Tina Honsell (Peter) and Marie Williams (Jarrid)  and bonus granddaughter Sophia.

His life was filled with travel, carrying him to the orient during the Korean War and to most of Westen Europe as an escort with groups of students, family and friends.

His leadership of a group of 25 to the Ionian coast of Greece for a seven-week visit in 1990 for the staging of an ancient tragedy in an ancient Greek theatre was a personal high.

His wife, Gunilla, showed him the beauty of Sweden and shared the excitement of visits to France, England, Italy, Sicily, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Turkey the Aegean islands, and Monaco during their years together. Winter vacations carried them to Tampa, the Bahamas and Mexico.

He learned, after much trial and error, how to be a good husband, thanks to the coaching of Gunilla. He regrets not having learned to be a better father, a responsibility that always frightened him more than it should have.

His life was better than his most extravagant dreams could foresee. Throughout, he tried to help others achieve their goals and fulfill their dreams. To the degree that he succeeded, his family and friends must judge.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, June 10 from 10:00 - Noon, at Porter Funeral Home, 8535 Monrovia, Lenexa, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Ascend Hospice and Palliative Care, 4550 W. 109th St.,Ste. 210, Overland Park, Kansas 66211