Paul Pierceall

Longtime Antelope Valley resident Paul Henry Pierceall passed peacefully in the early morning of February 8, 2018 after a recent decline resulting from congestive heart failure. Paul married Emma Loraine Jessup on April 15, 1946 in Springfield, IL. He was the dear father of Paul Michael Pierceall (Dorene), Billie Jean Brown (Kenneth) and Cheryl Ann Young (Michael). Paul was born on June 1, 1924 in Athens, IL, the fifth son of the late Hardie Pierceall (1890-1938) and (Mary) Olivia (Hawkins) Pierceall (1896-1978). He is preceded in death by brothers Albert (1919-1948), Joseph (1920-1983), John (1927-1927), Melvin (1926-2003) and Hardy (1932-2002), and sisters Ethel (1915-1918) and Ellen Losey (1919-2005), as well as grandson Dylan (1978-2002). Paul leaves his loving memories to be cherished by his sister Helen Terry, three children, and grandchildren Misti, Daniel, Nicole (Nathan), Brian (Stephanie), Andrew (Rebecca), Stuart (Angela), Leah and Rachel (Adam). Great Grandchildren include Ocean, Reyna, Rhianna, Justin, Emma Joy, Allison, Kaitlin, Haleema, Josslyn, Olivia, Riley, Devin, Maxson, Avery, Liv and Ella. He attended school into his freshman year (1939-1940) at Riverton High School, IL before leaving to contribute toward the support of his mother Olivia and younger siblings after the untimely passing of his father Hardie in a coalmining accident. Always ambitious, Paul “changed” his birthdate in order to join the Civilian Conservation Corp (1941-1942) and the U.S. Army Air Corps (1942-1945), during which he served as flight engineer on the B-26 Marauder. Paul moved his wife and children to San Fernando Valley, CA in 1953 and spent a good part of his last 20 years in Palmdale, CA. He was employed for many years in the aerospace industry, retiring in 1990 from Litton Data Systems, Van Nuys, CA as an accomplished welder of numerous metals. He spent many dedicated volunteer hours in the 1980s as a member of the Commemorative [Confederate] Air Force, Southern California Wing at Calabasas Airport in the preservation of historical combat aircraft, among them the Curtiss C-46 “China Doll” Commando Transport Aircraft, the Grumman F8F-2 “Bearcat” Navy Fighter, and the North American SNJ-5 Texan 2-Seat Trainer. Paul was an accomplished reader with a deep intellectual interest in history as it relates to the world, politics, war and religions, and in psychology and health; he relished the challenge of debate. He also appreciated the outdoors, and was known to enjoy long drives around the country, long walks in Palmdale, hikes in the mountains of California and Utah, ocean and lake fishing, as well as horseback and motorcycle riding. To the end, Paul was extremely proud of his accomplishments and of his and Loraine’s children and their families. Services for Paul and his beloved wife will be held at Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, CA on Monday, March 19, 2018 at 11:15 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association or to the American Heart Association.