La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

Shelter Bay resident Ingrid Maria Pierce died at the age of 80 on Saturday, March 21.

Born Ingrid Johanson in Stockholm, Sweden on July 29, 1934, Ingrid worked for the Royal Academy of Sweden and attended the Nobel Prize Ceremony 1955 before she came to the United States.

In 1956, Ingrid, who was fluent in four languages includ-ing English and German, immigrated to the United States with her mother, Olga, who had relatives on the New Jersey south shore. Shortly after, a friend introduced her to a young Marine Corps veteran, Dan Pierce.

Dan and Ingrid were married in Seaside Park, New Jersey, in 1957.

Over the years, the couple lived in the states surrounding the nation’s capitol. Dan worked in data processing, and Ingrid, who loved to sew, taught sewing classes for the Singer sewing machine company. For a time the couple also owned and operated a motel in Virginia.

The couple moved to Dallas, Texas for a short time for Dan’s job, and then in 1975 came to Washington and settled in Kirkland. The Pierces built their home in Shelter Bay and moved here in 1992.

In La Conner, Ingrid was active in the La Conner Civic Garden Club and Soroptimist International of La Conner. When Dan got a new hobby — restoring classic cars — they joined the Skagit Old Car Club.

Ingrid loved cruising with Dan in their 1956 Olds 88 two-door hardtop, their 1947 Plymouth Club Coupe and their souped-up 1963 Plymouth Scamp.

Besides Dan, her husband of 58 years, Ingrid leaves her son John Pierce of Monroe, her daughter Ingrid “Peggy” Wilkenson of Hoodsport and two grandsons, John Valencia of Maple Valley and Gage Wilkenson of Hoodsport.

Friends are invited to a celebration of Ingrid’s life on Friday, April 24 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Shelter Bay Clubhouse.