PETERBOROUGH, NH – Meghan Margaret Pierce, 50, of Peterborough, passed away peacefully at Monadnock Community Hospital on July 7, 2023, after an illness. She was born in Burbank, CA, on January 31, 1973, the daughter of Michael and Helen Mary (Brennan) Fisher.
Meghan was an award-winning journalist and co-founder of the hyper-local news website, the Monadnock Beat – where she covered the goings on of the Monadnock Region, it also functioned as her love letter to the community. Meghan served the region for nearly two decades with journalistic integrity, her gift for storytelling, and her drive to do the stories of her community justice.
Meghan had a talent for singing and a great passion for music. She sang with the Divine Mercy Church choir for many years as well as directing The Divine Mercy Parish Youth Choir for four years. Meghan took great joy sharing her passion for music with younger generations.
Meghan is survived by her daughter Eve, her sister Bernadette, her brother-in-law Sean, her close friends Mandy and Faith, her son-in-law Reo, her mother Helen Mary, her brother John, and her many siblings, nieces, and nephews.
A Celebration of Meghan’s life will take place in the Upper Hall of the Peterborough Town House on August 1st from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Meghan’s name to the Peterborough Sunshine Fund 20 Depot Street Suite 312, Peterborough, NH 03458 or support the future relaunch of the Monadnock Beat via GoFundMe, or send contributions ℅ Bar Harbor Bank and Trust, PO Box 657, Peterborough, NH 03458 to help her survivors continue her legacy of serving the region.
A Personal Note from Eve Pierce
Growing up with Meghan as my mom meant traveling around Southern New Hampshire to all sorts of events – town hall meetings, parades, political rallies, concerts or anything worthy of a story. It also meant having the honor of watching Meghan work and, furthermore, making her job seem absolutely effortless. I watched her touch many lives and it still feels as though everywhere I go I see someone I met through my mother’s work. I read over her stories and I noticed how much thought and care she put into the stories of her community.
I also saw my mother as a teacher. Our family belonged to Divine Mercy Parish in Peterborough for many years and Meghan volunteered as a Sunday School CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) teacher and as the choir director of the Divine Mercy Youth Choir. Meghan understood children more than anyone else I’ve ever met. She knew how to hold space and create a supportive environment for her students and celebrated their successes.
With the Youth Choir, Meghan was able to pass down to younger generations her greatest passion – music. She had a beautiful voice and sang whenever she had the opportunity, taking part in many local choirs over the years, including the Norway Pond Festival Singers and the Divine Mercy Church Choir.
Meghan shared her passion for music with me, encouraging me every step of the way on my journey of musicianship. One of my fondest memories with her to this day was performing with her in a production of Amahl and the Night Visitors when I was a child, as well as anytime I sang alongside her.
She also had a zeal for telling the stories of the Monadnock Region. My mother founded the Monadnock Beat with her friend, Mandy Sliver, out of a devotion to the community of our region. The Monadnock Beat was truly Meghan’s passion project and I believe the sentiment she held for her community shone through it.
While she was ill she was unable to continue working, and the Beat was placed on an unofficial hiatus with the hope that she could return to it. Though she cannot return, her love for the community and her love for the Beat still lives on with Mandy and me, and we intend on reviving the Beat in her honor when we are both ready.
I would now like to share some more personal words on my mother before I leave you. Meghan loved Ella Fitzgerald and Depeche Mode. She enjoyed Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke and Les Miserables. She wore a lot of black and inspired the purchasing of many denim jackets. She was clever and thoughtful. She had a quirky and offbeat sense of humor. She was headstrong. She valued honesty above anything else. Her optimism and determination were infectious. Meghan was the bravest person I’ve ever known and I am perhaps the luckiest person in the world, simply for having her as my mother. The world was better for her being in it and will remain better from the impact she made upon it.
