Bobby Gene Pickens
March 19, 1938 — June 5, 2013
Bobby Gene Pickens, resident of the Oakland Community, retired employee for Southern Concrete in Oakland and husband of Betty Pickens departed this life Wednesday morning, June 5, 2013 at the Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital where he had been a patient for two weeks. He was 75 years of age and died following a short illness.
Services for Mr. Pickens will be at 5 Friday afternoon at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland with Bro. Billy Adair of the Morris Chapel Baptist Church in Somerville officiating. Interment will be in the Fayette County Memorial Park Cemetery on Highway 64. A visitation for Mr. Pickens will be from 4 to 5 Friday afternoon at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland.
Mr. Pickens was born March 19, 1938 in Savannah, Tennessee. He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth Andrew Pickens and Mamie Wilkerson Pickens. He moved at an early age to Poinsett, Arkansas and attended the Arkansas Public School System. He was married April 19, 1958 to the former Betty Woods, a native of Waterloo, Alabama, who survives.
Mr. Pickens was employed as a truck operator for Southern Concrete in Oakland for a number of years before his retirement 3 1/2 years ago. He lived in the Memphis area before moving to the Oakland Community in 1978 and attended Morris Chapel Baptist Church in Somerville. He was a family-oriented person who enjoyed family gathers and antique cars. He collected John Wayne memorabilia and coins.
In addition to his wife of 55 years, Mr. Pickens is survived by four daughters, Jeanie Armstrong (Lyn) of the Hickory Withe Community, Kathe Sanders (Norman) of Memphis, Tammy Pickens (John) of Oakland, Lisa Doyle (Robert) of Oakland; his son, Joey Pickens (Becky) of Oakland; his sister, Lorene James of Holly Springs, MS; two brothers, Tom Pickens of Manchester, TN, Calvin Pickens of Memphis; 11 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and two soon to arrive.
He was preceded in death by three sisters, Ruby, Ann, Lucy and one brother, Dean Pickens.
Those honored to serve as casketbearers will be Andrew Pickens, Daniel Montalvo, Adam Pickens, Jesse Pickens, Corey Hawkins and Eric Armstrong.
The family requests that memorials be directed to the St. Jude Tribute Program, P.O. Box 1000, Department 142, Memphis, TN 38148.