After nearly five decades wearing a badge in Liberty County, Ivan Pearce is ready to trade investigations, courtrooms and case files for a little more time with his family — and perhaps a few long-awaited trips.
Pearce, chief investigator for the Liberty County District Attorney’s Office, will retire Wednesday, Sept. 30, ending a law enforcement career that stretches back roughly 47 years when his reserve service is included.
A retirement reception in his honor will be held Friday, Oct. 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jack Hartel Building in Liberty. Friends, former colleagues and members of the community are invited to stop by.
Pearce, who will turn 70 in October, said the timing simply feels right.
He and his wife, Cherryl, have both dealt with some health concerns, and after spending most of his adult life working, Pearce said they would like to have the freedom to travel and enjoy their time together.
“We want to travel,” he said. “I want to be able to go, just go.”
Pearce’s public service actually began before his law enforcement career. He served as a volunteer firefighter with the Cleveland Volunteer Fire Department from 1974 to 1986.
His law enforcement career began as a reserve officer with the Cleveland Police Department, where he worked under the late Police Chief Harvey Lovings from 1979 to 1981. He later became a reserve deputy with the Liberty County Pct. 5 Constable’s Office under his late father-in-law, then-Constable Frank Taylor.
Pearce eventually ran for office himself and was elected Liberty County Pct. 6 constable. He served four years and nine months, taking office early after the previous constable stepped down before completing his term.
After leaving elected office, Pearce returned briefly to the Pct. 5 Constable’s Office before joining the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office in October 1993 under then-Sheriff O.J. Stewart. He remained with the sheriff’s office after Stewart retired, working under former Sheriff Greg Arthur.
Another turn in his career came in June 2002, when then-District Attorney Mike Little asked Pearce to join the Liberty County District Attorney’s Office as an investigator.
Pearce admitted he had reservations about making the move. He enjoyed the investigative side of law enforcement and wasn’t sure what to expect from working in a prosecutor’s office. It did not take long for him to realize that he was simply seeing criminal cases from a different perspective.
Tasks that might not have made sense to him earlier suddenly did once he saw how prosecutors prepared a case for trial.
“There’s a reason behind the madness,” he said with a laugh.
Pearce remained at the DA’s office for the next 24 years, serving under three district attorneys — Little, Logan Pickett and current District Attorney Jennifer Bergman.
The job also gave him a front-row seat to countless cases and plenty of personalities along the way.
Pearce leaves with an appreciation for the courtroom side of criminal justice that he did not fully understand before joining the DA’s office.
Pearce particularly remembers how seriously Little prepared for court.
“He was always prepared when he walked in that courtroom,” Pearce said.
Retirement does not mean Pearce plans to completely give up his peace officer credentials. He intends to keep his commission active and maintain the training necessary to do so.
Mostly, though, retirement will mean more time with Cherryl, whom he married in June 1981.
The couple has one son, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. They also had a daughter who died when she was just 26 days old.
Pearce and Cherryl plan to remain in Tarkington, but staying home all the time is definitely not part of the retirement plan.
Their travel wish list includes the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and possibly an Alaskan cruise next spring. They also hope to eventually make a trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway, a journey they previously postponed after flooding damaged portions of the route.
There will also be time for softball. Pearce’s oldest granddaughter plays league ball, and he and Cherryl enjoy following her games when they can.
After years of answering calls, investigating crimes, preparing cases and working around court schedules, Pearce is looking forward to having a little more control over his calendar. For now, though, there is one more gathering on it.
The Liberty County District Attorney’s Office will celebrate Pearce’s retirement Friday, Oct. 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jack Hartel Building in Liberty, giving the people who have worked with him — and those who have known him through his many years of public service — a chance to stop by, visit and wish him well as he closes out a 47-year career in law enforcement.