Pearson and his grandchildren, from left to right: Grant Pearson, Sydney Becker, and Hunter Pearson. Courtesy | Heidi Becker

John Ervin Pearson, a former member of Hillsdale’s board of trustees, died Aug. 30 at age 75 after a 10-year battle with prostate cancer.

“He was a very loving, generous man who loved his family very much, and was a very wise businessman and went out of his way to do nice things for people,” said Pearson’s daughter, Heidi Becker ’97.

Shortly after Becker graduated from Hillsdale, her father joined the college’s board of trustees.

“He always believed in the foundation of Hillsdale and what they stood for,” Becker said.

Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn said Pearson was especially important to him because he was part of the search committee that brought Arnn to the college 25 years ago.

“Of course, I have the most vivid memories of the search committee meeting, and some of the best concern John,” Arnn said in an email. “He asked incisive questions. How did I learn to manage? What would be the heart of my strategy? Did I think I could do it?”

A resident of Ann Arbor, Pearson took his family on many adventures, as he loved traveling, according to Becker. They went to a safari in Kenya, a cruise through Turkey and the Greek Isles, and they visited Italy and the U.K. numerous times.

“He was a great father and a great grandfather to his grandchildren, and he was a great guy. He was very appreciated and loved,” Becker said.

When Pearson was a boy, he had a horse that he loved and cared for when he was in middle school and high school, Becker said.

“He was from Arizona, that’s where he was raised, until he moved to Michigan when he was in his early 20s,” Becker said. “So he spent a lot of time in Arizona hiking and being on the mountains and living life out there.”

Pearson briefly worked for Guttmann in Germany before starting to work as a salesman for Ervin Industries, which makes metal products, in 1975, Becker said. He served as CEO and president for 39 of the 50 years he worked for the company.

Former board of trustees member Bill Brodbeck served with Pearson and recalled traveling on Pearson’s corporate jet when the college was in the process of finding a new president.

“As a board member, he was a solid member,” Brodbeck said. “He participated, was active, came from a strong business background, and had good sensitivities to various things. As a person, as a friend, he was a fun guy, a smart guy, fun to be around and so on, and he loved Hillsdale.” 

Becker said she thinks her dad would like to be remembered for loving his family and loving to travel and spending time at his lake house in Charlevoix. 

“He loved to have people over and have dinners and fine things in life like filets and wine and all that stuff,” Becker said. “He was just that kind of nice guy.”

Pearson served on the board from 1998 to 2008.

“We are sorry for the loss his family endures and feel the weight of it ourselves,” Arnn said. “John will be remembered here.”