The consummate public servant…without mincing words, that short and simple phrase best describes John Pierce Jr.

Another brief description of this giant of a man was that his heart was in Hertford County. When that heart stopped beating on Sunday, a lifetime of hard work and dedication came to an end.

While John Pierce Jr. was a proud “man of color,” he was colorblind when it came to what was fair and what was right. His mission was to serve all citizens of the county he so loved, no matter their race, gender, religion or social upbringing.

Although he only served one, four-year term on the Hertford County Board of Commissioners, the passion he brought to that seat was unequaled.

He stood firm in his beliefs that the commissioners’ seat he held did not belong to him, but rather to the people of Hertford County. The decisions he made in that position of power were performed with much thought and deliberation, always keeping what was good for all people as his guiding force.

He also took pride in the fact that during his four-year term, he never missed nor was tardy for a commissioners’ meeting. That is commendable on its own merits, especially considering that his full-time job carried him to Newport News, Va. every weekday.

We need more people in our world such as John Pierce Jr. Unfortunately, we lost one of those thoughtful, caring men on Sunday.