Pierre V. Stevens, 61

DOVER - Pierre V. Stevens, of Dover, passed away Friday, May 2, 2008, in University of Maryland Hospital, Baltimore. He was 61.

He was born on Oct. 3, 1946, in Canonsburg, Pa., to Howard and Emma Vandale Stevens.

Pierre attended Duke University in Durham, N.C., and graduated from California State University in California, Pa., in 1970 with a B.S.Ed. in English education.

Upon graduation he moved to Dover, where he was a teacher of English from 1970-1079 at Dover High School.

Pierre participated in curriculum development, and was the local Delaware State President of American Federation of Teachers.

In addition, he was an advocate for all teachers as a leader, as he helped to accomplish the Capital School District's first professional contract.

Pierre was someone who volunteered on a number of committees for the Department of Education.

He also was a member of the Delaware Association of English Teachers and wrote articles for their English Journal.

Deciding to leave teaching, he moved into a career which encompassed his love of cars.

He worked for a variety of car dealerships throughout Delaware and also in Salisbury. Md.

Pierre then moved into the financial world, where he worked at Morgan Stanley-Dean Witter as a financial adviser.

When the Dover office closed, Pierre moved to Wachovia Securities as a financial adviser, and then to Wachovia Bank as a financial specialist, where he remained employed until his death.

Pierre was a warm, giving, extremely intelligent and well-spoken person.

He served on several state appointed committees, including the Governors Advisory Council to the Delaware Department of Substance Abuse and Mental Health as a full member, having chaired subcommittees on Employment and Child Mental Health.

He was also co-chair of the Professional Standards Counsel for Delaware Department of Education.

Pierre was also a founding member of the board of directors, and president of the board from 1999-2006 of Positive Outcomes Charter School, one of the first charter schools in the state. He felt this was one of his greatest accomplishments.

Pierre was an amazing man. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and it was not unusual that he have 10 books stacked by the bedside, all in some stage of being read.

He was known for his eloquent speaking ability, but most of all his love of people and his overwhelming desire to help others, no matter who they were.

He passionately loved his work, Duke basketball, the Pittsburgh Steelers, learning and NASCAR.

Pierre liked to build and fix things, complete crossword puzzles in link, and enjoy his friends and family as a devoted husband and father.

He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Mary Ann Williams Stevens of Dover; his sons, Marc Pierre and Andrew Williams Stevens; brother and sister-in-law, Howard O. and Linda Stevens of Severna Park, Md., and their children Amy and Laddy; his sister and brother- in-law, Mary Jane and Charles Roskosz of Santa Cruz, Calif., and their children Amy and Dean; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Jane Ellan and Warren Golde of Lewes and their children Todd and Meredith; his Aunt, Anna Mae O'Leary of Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.; and numerous grandnephews and grandnieces.

Celebration of Life services will be 7 p.m. Sunday in Trader Funeral Home, Dover, where friends may call from 4-7 p.m. The family invites visitors to attend.

Private burial will be at the Lake Side Cemetery, Dover.

The family requests that memorial contributions be given to Pierre Stevens Education Fund at Wachovia Bank, c/o Carole Pierce, 100 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901.