PICKETT, Charles Thomas
Charles Thomas Pickett was born in Fort Worth, Texas on July 29, 1946, the first and only child of Paul DeWitt Pickett and Lois Irene George, who were both from East Texas. Charles grew up in Dallas and was educated in the public schools and completed one year at New Mexico Military Academy, where he learned disciplined habits that followed him throughout life. After graduating from the University of Texas, he went "east" to pursue a career in print journalism. He loved the grass roots reporting of a small town and landed a job in Rockingham, North Carolina, where he also wrote a column called "Pickett Lines." He later became a feature writer for the Charlotte Observer and eventually received offers to join a paper in Washington, DC. Crossing the Potomac would have ensured his future in Journalism, but he decided to leave the newspaper business.
He began a career in contract sales for Dwoskin wallcovering working out of Virginia Beach. Dwoskin was owned by Rollins, Inc., an Atlanta firm. In 1974, he married Alice Brown of Atlanta at North Avenue Presbyterian Church. They raised three children across three cities in Virginia and Maryland until making the move to Atlanta, GA, in 1985. Charles represented various manufacturers in interior finishing and continued to work independently in Atlanta. He was often at ADAC showrooms.
In 1994, Charles rejoined ranks with the newspaper world. The press still churned out papers and he became a circulation manager for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He worked for Cox Inc., until retirement in 2007. His last job was Zone Manager in the Decatur Branch. Late nights, deadlines, and headlines suited him. Although he was not writing for a living, he often said he still had printers' ink in his blood. After retirement, he worked for delivery firms including SAW and W.T. Standard. Charles wanted to be up early, suited out in his immaculate khakis, and on the road. Only debilitating medical conditions ending in lung cancer removed him from the fast pace of life in the city.
Throughout his life, Charles enjoyed being the quiet guy in the room, observing behavior with a book in his lap. He enjoyed gregarious family celebrations in Charlotte with his sister-in-law and family, reunions in Southwest GA, trips to small towns and state parks, camping with scout troops and visits to the Great Smokies. He could hang wallpaper, lay floors, and cook anything. He liked sitting on the front porch waving to neighbors, watching his kitties, reading news from his phone, and being with his wife. His favorite author was Ernest Hemmingway. His favorite actor was Robert Duval in Lonesome Dove. His favorite president was Abraham Lincoln, and his favorite Historical Site is the park honoring Gen. James McPherson Park in East Atlanta. He shared a love of history with his wife, Alice who dragged him to tours of the city and environs.
Charles is survived by his wife, Alice; and his children, Gibson, Grant, and Emily, all of Atlanta, Anne and Bruce Terry and Melisa Boyd, all of Wilmington, NC, Nancy Pickett Rula of Freestone County and N. Michael Kensel of Ft. Worth, Texas. Although he never lived in Texas again, the Lone Star spirit was in his soul. He had fond memories of his early years and days growing up under the Big Starry Sky.
A memorial service is planned for September 22, 2024 at 2:00 PM in the Chapel of North Avenue Presbyterian Church, where he and Alice were married on November 16, 1974.
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