His Grandpa was an avid chess player

Star turn for Alzheimer’s

David Hyde Pierce shares his family’s story as part of a drive to educate the public about the disease

BY JAMIE TALAN
April 17, 2007

David Hyde Pierce lost his maternal grandfather and his father to Alzheimer’s disease. Now the actor is center stage in the debut of a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the mind-robbing condition.

“We are at a crisis point,” said Pierce, who is starring in the musical “Curtains” on Broadway. “We are at a pinnacle of hope. But we have to raise awareness of the condition. The research that needs to be done takes money.”

…Pierce grew up in Saratoga Springs and spent a lot of time with his mother’s father, who lived nearby. An avid chess player, his grandfather had a wonderful sense of humor, Pierce said, with a penchant for building model ships and full-sized boats.

Here is the full article from NY Newsday.