Dwight Pickett

Collins Dwight Pickett was known by his middle name his entire life. Many friends and co-workers also called him ""Pick"". Dwight was born in 1935, in Manhattan Kansas. His father was a pharmacist and his mother a teacher. Hoping to find an economic ""boost"" in a larger metropolitan area, Dwight's dad moved the family to the Front Range of the Rockies in the early 1940's. Eventually they settled in Arvada, where Dwight's dad bought a retail drug store. Dwight attended Arvada schools, and graduated from Arvada High School. He remembered Arvada as a small community, with long stretches of farmland under cultivation between the larger city of Denver and the small town of Arvada. He and his friends traveled to the big city via the streetcar, and on one memorable evening Dwight fell asleep on the way home and ended up in the Golden train yard in the middle of the night. He enjoyed activities of the high school band, and participated in other music activities, fostering a love of music which would last his entire life. He worked in the drugstore helping his father at the soda fountain, fostering a sweet tooth which would last his entire life! When Dwight heard that the U S Mint was hiring, he applied, and in 1956 went to work there. Over the next 29 years, he worked in one department after another, eventually becoming an assistant foreman in the material handling division, which tracks the weight of metal used for coinage. His years at the Mint provided many close friendships with men from all walks of life in Denver. He treasured these friendships during all his working years, and missed seeing them daily when it came time for retirement. In retirement, Dwight worked in a series of retail jobs, and in 2003 began a second career as a guest services representative at Coors Field during baseball season. Many persons who attended baseball games regularly came to know him, and along with the friends he made among the other employees he treasured these relationships as well. Dwight had three sons, Michael, David, and Jeff. At mid life he added a step daughter to the children in the family. He was very very proud of all of the children and took great pleasure in observing them all grow into stable productive adult lives. When grandchildren began to arrive, his pleasure was that of grandparents everywhere. Eventually he and Arlene shared pride in nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. His two oldest granddaughters, Desi and Mariah are now young women, and have joined their parents and uncles in representing the best types of adulthood. In 1982, mutual friends introduced him to Arlene Rommel. After a very enjoyable first phone call, which did not include an invitation for a date, and which left Arlene wondering exactly what was going on with this man, he eventually called her back and they met for dinner. They married in 1984. When Arlene was able to retire, they began to indulge an itch to travel. After both began working at Coors Field, they used their earnings from that endeavor to fund a series of adventures. The roster of their destinations is very impressive: Bermuda, Rome, Florence, Israel, the Netherlands (twice), Croatia, Bosnia, Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Hawaii, Alaska, Baja Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona, Toronto, New York City, Venice, and several less ambitious treks to visit family and friends in Colorado and the Midwest. In the fall of 2007, the symptoms of congestive heart failure began to place limits on Dwight's adventurous spirit. A sensitive conference with one of his consulting physicians led to a decision to request end of life care from The Denver Hospice. During the seven months which followed, Dwight continued to enjoy the attention of his two cats; occasional trips to Central City to respond to the siren call of the slot machines; visits with his sons and their families; trips to local restaurants with Arlene; NFL and Rockies games on television; and daily doses of reruns of Bonanza and Gunsmoke courtesy of a local cable TV channel. He and Arlene almost never missed Jeopardy, and like good little voyeurs everywhere they intently followed Survivor and The Amazing Race. His departure leaves a very large gap in his wider family circle. All those who knew and loved him will miss him very much. He is survived by his sister Peggy Ekrem of Fruita Colorado; his sons Mike, David, and Jeff; daughters-in-law Sunnie, Maggie, and Mary Beth; step daughter Amy; son-in-law Eric, grandchildren Desi, Mariah, Tyler, Jeremy, Elisa, Quillan, Kaitlyn, Hailey, and Hunter; and great grandchildren Caden and Mikala. Between them he and Arlene had several nieces and nephews, cousins, and many very good friends. Dwight's memorial service and internment of his ashes will be held Monday March 22, at 11 am at St John's Cathedral 1350 Washington in Denver. The family invites his friends to join them for a brief reception to be held at the church following the service. His family requests memorial donations to a charity of your choice. Dwight would have been very pleased to know that your gifts would benefit either the local food bank MetroCareRing, 1100 E 18th Ave, Denver, 80218; or the Cat Care Society, 5787 W 6th Avenue, Lakewood, 80214. 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