The man whose company has built many of the landmark buildings we see or go into every day has died after a brilliant career in Michigan's Great Southwest. Burton H. Pearson of St. Joseph, a contracting super star for decades, died Friday at the age of 92. He was the second of three generations in the Pearson family of prolific commercial construction throughout the region.
Pearson and his company built the Berrien County Courthouse, Lake Michigan College, the Silver Beach Carousel, St. Joseph City Hall, the Krasl Art Center, Whirlpool Corporation's Administrative Center, Great Lakes Eye Care, the Berrien County Jail, high school buildings for St. Joseph, Niles and South Haven and many, many more. Many of the commercial buildings and office structures throughout the region have been constructed by the Pearson Construction Company.
Burt Senior as he came to be known after his son joined the ranks of the company and took over in recent years, had been at Caretel Inns of Lakeland in Royalton Township at the time of his death on Friday. He was born two days after Christmas in 1923 in Stevensville. His father, Joel Pearson was the founder of Pearson Construction, which is headquartered in Benton Harbor. Joel had come to the United States in 1914 from Sweden and his company was incorporated in 1931.
Burt graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1941 and attended Northwestern University Engineering School before being drafted in 1943 into the Headquarter Squadron of the United States Army Air Corps in Washington. After returning to St. Joe, he attended Kalamazoo College and graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in Business Administration. He then joined the family firm and eventually became President in 1964. He officially retired in 1999 when Burt II became the President.
He and his wife Jean were married for 66 years. She survives him along with his children Christine (Roger) Petzke, and Burton (Margaret) Pearson, II. He is also survived by six grandchildren, four great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Burt was a church council member of Saron Lutheran Church for 40 years, a former board member of Sarrett Nature Center, a former director of InterCity Bank and was a member of the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club for many years.
Services celebrating Burt's life will be at 11am on Wednesday, June 15th at Saron Lutheran Church in St. Joseph followed by entombment at the North Shore Mausoleum. The family will receive friends and relatives from 5-8pm on Tuesday at the Fairplain Chapel of Florin Funeral Service in Benton Harbor, and memorials may be made to Sarett Nature Center or Saron Lutheran Church.
Burt was a strong, quiet leader to was totally dedicated to excellence in everything his company performed, and the sheer volume of buildings that have been built in the region and beyond are testimony to a company that has earned tremendous respect and admiration across the land.