Evelyn J. Pierson; Ventura Hospital Secretary

Evelyn Joyce Pierson, who worked as a secretary at Ventura’s Community Memorial Hospital until falling ill last autumn, died Wednesday of lung cancer. She was 64.

She was born May 22, 1932, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

She immigrated to the United States on her birthday in 1959 and settled in Northridge with her family.

Pierson moved to Santa Paula from Panorama City five years ago. She worked at a Santa Paula construction company and became secretary for Silver Service, a seniors program at Community Memorial Hospital, in 1992.

Her hobbies included knitting and collecting turtle memorabilia, said her brother, John Skoog of Heber, Ariz.

Pierson owned more than 100 turtles in various forms, including turtle jewelry, a turtle footstool and even a turtle toilet seat.

“She was never that crazy about turtles,” he said, noting that her collection grew simply because people kept giving them to her. “She never really had the heart to say it wasn’t her fixation.”

Pierson enjoyed baking and counted shortbread biscuits, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding among her specialties.

In addition to her brother, survivors include two daughters, JoAnn Lester of Santa Paula and Carol Miland of Gardnerville, Nev.; one sister, Carol Rinella of Winnipeg; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Memorial services are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Ted Mayr Funeral Home, 3150 Loma Vista Road, Ventura, with the Rev. Paula Swavely of the Ventura Church of Religious Science officiating.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Lifeline Scholarship program at Community Memorial Hospital.