Wendy Atkins Pierce

Wendy Atkins Pierce Nov. 6, 1960 to June 30, 2021 Wendy Atkins Pierce loved helping people. In fact, she devoted her personal and professional life to it. Wendy passed away peacefully on June 30, 2021. She was born Nov. 6, 1960, and grew up in Anniston and Mobile, Ala., with her Methodist minister father, Eugene Lewis Atkins and mother, Martha Woosley Atkins, along with brothers, Stephen and Tim. She attended the University of Alabama where she received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. She began her career helping others as a social worker in Mobile before deciding to pursue a Juris Doctor law degree. Wendy opened her law practice in Fairhope in the late 1990s after graduating in the Top 10 of her class at Cumberland School of Law. She soon established herself as a prestigious Social Security and disability lawyer. She wanted to use both her law and social work background to positively affect people’s lives. She often said, “I’m a social worker with a legal background.” She also spent time working in her yard and would be outside from sunrise to sunset. She took great pride in how it looked. She often recruited all three of her children, John, Stephen and Katie to help, and was never satisfied until the yard was perfect. In addition to her love for gardening, Wendy was an amazing cook. The menu selections were limited, but her children said the meals were perfect, especially the mac and cheese and broccoli cornbread, which they called “the best.” Her civic activities included the Rotary Club and the Hawkins Scholarship Committee, which she appreciated because it impacted the lives of future college students. Wendy was an active member of Fairhope United Methodist Church, which she loved and served in many ways. She participated on both its advisory legal team and as an endowment trustee. Her favorite place to visit was her river house because she enjoyed the peace and quiet. She joked about how easy it would be for her to become a hermit because she liked being on her own and in her own company. She is survived by her sons, John Pierce of Morris, Ala., and Stephen Pierce of Ocean Springs, Miss., and daughter Katie Pierce of Fairhope, Ala.; grandson Hunter Williams of Silverhill, Ala., and her lifelong friend, Denise Lores of Fairhope. She was preceded in death by her parents, Eugene and Martha Atkins, and brothers Stephen Atkins and Tim Atkins. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Aug. 7 at Fairhope United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Laura Parker, associate pastor at FUMC, officiating. Honorary pallbearers will be John Pierce, Stephen Pierce, and Hunter Williams. In lieu of flowers, her children ask that donations can be made to Caring Ministries at Fairhope United Methodist Church, 155 S. Section St., Fairhope, AL 36532 or https://www.shelbygiving.com/App/Giving/fairhopeumc ARRANGEMENTS BY WOLFE-BAYVIEW FUNERAL HOMES & CREMATORY, INC. 19698 GREENO RD FAIRHOPE, AL 36532 (251) 990-7775