Grant Pierson was homeless when he died. His brother, William Pierson, had offered him an alternative: a room, food and freedom in William’s house outside Boise.

“Grant stayed about six months, then decided he was out of his element. He wanted to go back Downtown,” Pierson said.

That meant back to his friends and the family he’d created at Interfaith Sanctuary, Corpus Christi House and the neighborhood around Rhodes Skate Park.

“He had opportunities to be somewhere else,” Pierson said. “But he loved and respected those people, and they loved and respected Grant.”

Grant Pierson was among those honored at the annual memorial service held at Interfaith Sanctuary every Dec. 21 for shelter residents who have passed away during the year.

His brother attended.

“I was shocked at how many people knew Grant and relied on him,” William Pierson said. “He had this whole life I knew nothing about.”

Grant Pierson, who died of a heart attack in August at age 64, had been homeless for more than a decade. During his time on the street, he became the “go-to” man for other homeless people in need of advice about finding medical care, a hot meal, or just staying safe.

“People told me they learned more from Grant in 15 minutes about how to live without a home than they learned anywhere else,” said Jayne Sorrels, director of Interfaith Sanctuary.

Henry Krewer, one of the founders of Corpus Christi House, knew Pierson for more than a decade. Pierson used to do day jobs through El-Ada Community Action Partnership, Krewer said. Those jobs included digging ditches, tearing off old roofs, cleaning garages or whatever was available.

Pierson was capable and had lots of skills, Krewer said, including gardening. He helped start a shelter community garden on a donated lot. When an elderly shelter volunteer, Agnes Miller, who also died recently, needed help with her garden, Pierson stepped up. He also designed and built storage spaces for residents at the shelter.

Like many longtime homeless people, Pierson lived by a street ethic, Krewer said: Don’t steal from people. Don’t abuse people. Don’t take advantage of people.

Pierson wasn’t a saint, Krewer said. He drank. He would go long periods without drinking, then relapse. But he remained a calm, reasonable man, even when he was “in his cups,” Krewer said.

When Pierson first began spending his nights at the shelter, he didn’t want to stay in the main dorm. Staffers found him a more solitary, if not more comfortable, spot on the floor near the reception area.

Sorrels came to rely on him when she was managing the shelter at night.

“As a woman, it was valuable to have someone I trusted,” she said.

Even after his health started to deteriorate, he was quick to offer his help.

“He had this huge smile. He would ask me how I was doing, and it was clear he really wanted to know,” Sorrels said.

Grant and William Pierson and an older brother grew up on a cattle ranch in Challis, then moved to Pocatello. William Pierson, who’s now retired from the construction business, said he wasn’t sure how his brother became homeless. The two had lost touch for a time.

Grant Pierson worked as a short-order cook. One stint was at Manley’s, the venerable cafe that once stood on Federal Way. Manley’s was famous for its giant servings. The Boise State football team used to eat there before games with Pierson at the grill, said his brother.

In recent years, any time William Pierson would come to Boise, he’d drive down to River Street to pick up his brother for a cup of coffee. He’d usually find him sitting alone near the skate park, reading a book.

“That was his life, and he liked what he was doing,” Pierson said.

EMTs found Grant Pierson last summer, collapsed outside a Boise hotel. They brought him to the hospital and put him on life support. William Pierson’s name was in his brother’s wallet.

“I had to give the OK to pull the plug,” Pierson said.

The decision sits easy with him. “My brothers and I were baptized on the same day. So I know Grant’s OK. He’s already in a better place than I am.”

Pierson scattered his brother’s ashes in the river, close to the neighborhood he considered home.

In Remembrance is a weekly profile on a Treasure Valley resident who has recently passed away. To recommend a friend or loved one for an In Remembrance, email newsroom@idahostatesman.com.