Charles M. Pierson, 58, musician, Ferrari expert

Charles M. Pierson, 58, of Schwenksville, a Ferrari restorer and jazz musician, died of lung cancer Thursday, April 21, at home.

The son of a General Electric Co. engineer, Mr. Pierson began playing with cars when he was 12. At 16, he bought a 1959 Ford Galaxy 500 for $25, restored it, and sold it for $400.

He graduated from Conestoga High School, where he played lacrosse. He was offered a college scholarship but declined. "I always knew I wanted to work with my hands," he told Inquirer reporter Art Carey this month.

Mr. Pierson had two years of automotive training and eventually established an auto-repair shop in Schwenksville, specializing in the repair and renovation of Ferraris.

He worked on cars made from the mid-1950s to 1985, "before they were adulterated by electronics," Carey wrote.

"I like the engineering, the metallurgy, the quality. It's artwork," he told Carey. "I take a lot of time," he said, "I'm a perfectionist, obsessed with details."

Advertising was by word of mouth and Mr. Pierson had a backlog of two years. Bill Cosby once flew him to Massachusetts on his private plane to assess his collection.

Around the same time he began working with cars, Mr. Pierson began beating drums. He later sold his drums and bought an acoustic guitar; when he was 20, he switched to electric guitar.

In midlife, his interest in playing waned, but about 15 years ago, he started practicing again. He played rhythm and lead guitar for a homegrown band, Slick Mickey - his nickname - performing about once a month, usually at local taverns and inns.

On the day he died, the band was scheduled to play with other bands in a benefit for Traveling Mercies. The charity helps people around the world with such projects as water systems, vocational training, and sustainable farming.

Mr. Pierson, who had battled lung cancer for two years, planned to attend the benefit in a wheelchair even if he was too sick to play, his wife, Julie Stevenson Pierson, said.

The couple, who had been together for almost 10 years, married on April 14.

"I have fallen in love with him all over again," she told Carey. "I have watched him grow spiritually. The chemo causes constant suffering, but you'd never know it. He's always cheerful, always positive."

In addition to his wife, Mr. Pierson is survived by a son, Christopher; a daughter, Elyza; a sister; and his former wife, Joan Lyons.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 30, at McIlvaine Funeral Home, 3711 Midvale Ave. A musical life celebration will be held at a later date.

Donations may be made to Traveling Mercies, 707 Smithville Rd., Lumberton, N.J. 08048.