The sympathy card was one you might expect to find at the store, were it not written on white paper and drawn with a blue ball-point pen.
“In Loving Memory … & you will remain in Our Hearts … forever…” its inside reads.
The card came from Robert “Doug” Pierce, currently an inmate at the Kitsap County jail. He was paying respects to JoAnne Marez, a longtime reporter, editor and — frankly — a legend here at the Kitsap Sun. Marez died earlier this month due to complications due to an infection. She was 67.
I am at this point uncertain whether Pierce had help in the artistry that graces the cover of the card. In any event, in the detail you can see in the photo, Pierce calls Marez a “Professional Journalist, Passionate Investigator, extraordinary reporter, Kitsap Sun News Editor.” It’s quite illustrative as well.
Pierce, you may recall, actually solved a vexing math problem a few years back, untangling an error in how the Kitsap County jail was calculating its time off for good behavior, or “good time” for short. He is serving time for third-degree theft, trespassing and bail jumping, according to court documents.
As someone who toiled for years in the world of Kitsap County’s criminal justice system, I think JoAnne would’ve been touched by the card. I’m going to see to it that it gets to her family.
