Dudley Pearce, 89, of Winchester, Virginia, died peacefully on January 30, 2021 after an extended illness. He was a resident of The Village at Orchard Ridge, in Winchester, where he was well-loved. He was born February 22, 1931, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Rex Ray Pearce and Jessie Mae Rush Pearce. The day after receiving his bachelor’s degree from Mississippi College, he married Ann Douglas of Clinton, Mississippi, and then served in the U.S. Navy for two years. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi in 1958. He served as an attorney and administrative official of the Veterans Administration for 29 years. As a field attorney out of Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s, he travelled tirelessly throughout the state, assisting veterans in obtaining benefits. He served the final 20 years of his career at the VA Central Office in Washington, DC until he retired in 1991. In addition to his commitment to the well-being of veterans, he was a dedicated family man, avid tennis player, and devoted Christian. He spent his retirement in Winchester, Virginia, with his wife Ann, until her death in 2012. They volunteered at the VA hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia for many years, and were dedicated, active members of First Baptist Church of Winchester, where he served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher. He never knew a stranger, and loved long conversations with friends and family, often telling colorful stories about his childhood in Mississippi. He adored driving the backroads of the local Virginia and West Virginia region, and over the years generated an inch-high stack of letters to the editor of the Winchester Star covering a wide range of subjects—but primarily when he felt that someone should come to the defense of veterans and civil servants. He is survived by his daughter, Susan Pearce of Greenville, North Carolina; daughter Beverly Pearce of Winchester, Virginia; son Rex Pearce and daughter-in-law Kay Flanagan of Charlottesville, Virginia; son Scott Pearce and daughter-in-law Mary Beth Pearce of Daufuskie Island, South Carolina; and grandchildren Monica Pearce and Julian Pearce of Frederick, Maryland. A private family burial will take place at Mount Hebron Cemetery in Winchester, Virginia, and a public memorial service will be held in May 2021. Memorial donations may be made to Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 West Cork St, Suite 405, Winchester, Virginia, 22601. The family would like to express their deep appreciation to the Blue Ridge Hospice staff for their care. Online condolences may be left at www.jonesfuneralhomes.com.