Aug. 14, 1954 – Aug. 7, 2011

NATCHEZ — Services for the Rev. Steve Pearson, 56, of Natchez, who died Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011, at his residence, will be at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Community Chapel Church of God with the Rev. Bo Swilley officiating.

Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today and from 3 p.m. until service time Wednesday at the church.

Brother Steve was born Aug. 14, 1954, in Laurel, the son of William Cecil Pearson and Marion Frances Holifield Pearson. He was a loving father and husband. He was a 1972 graduate of Murphy High School and earned a master’s in divinity from Anderson University in Anderson, Ind.

He was pastor of Community Chapel Church of God for the past 25 years, pastor of the First Church of God in Roanoke, Ala., for four years, and youth minister of First Church of God in Mobile, Ala., for two years. He came to Natchez in 1986, and has been actively caring for the community ever since. He served in a number of positions including president of the Natchez Children’s Home Board, president and board member of the Sunshine Shelter, president, lieutenant governor of district and treasurer of Natchez Trace Kiwanis Club, president of the board for Habitat for Humanity, Church of God state board member, president of the Ministerial Alliance, president of the Natchez FEMA Board, Cub Scout Master, Pulpit Committee member for Mississippi Church of God Anderson, Home Missions Board member, Camp Dixon camp director, member of Inside-Out Singers in Anderson and member of Barbershop Quartet.

Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Bobbie Jean Pearson; one daughter, Ashleigh Pearson Patterson and husband, Tyler, of Madison; one son, Stephen Bryant Pearson of Natchez; his parents, William and Frances Pearson of Mobile, Ala.; one sister, Sherry Pearson Weatherford and husband, Alan, of Mobile; one brother, Chris Lamar Pearson of Laurel; one niece, Whitney Weatherford of Decatur, Ala.; two nephews, Christopher Pearson of Fairhope, Ala., and Joshua Weatherford and wife, Melia, and their children, Eli and Ella Katherine, all of Mobile.

Pallbearers will be Alec Womack, Greg Smith, Mike Myers, Joshua Weatherford, Alan Weatherford and Tyler Patterson.

Honorary pallbearers will be men of Community Chapel Church of God.

Memorials may be made to Community Chapel Church of God, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or Trinity Episcopal Day School.

Online condolences may be sent to www.lairdfh.com.