Obituary ~ ~
CHARLENE PICKEREL passed away Oct 25th, 2016 at 1:02 am at Guardian Angel Care Homes, Liberty Lake Washington. Charlene was the second born child of Charles & Geneva Quigley of Richland Washington, she spent her childhood years in Boulder, Colorado until she moved with her family to Richland Washington during the war years. Her father Charles was hired at Hanford, by Westinghouse Inc,; machining parts for a top-secret project we now know as the Atom bomb. She attended Richland High School, the home of The Bombers, graduating in 1947 and attended Eastern Washington State College for a short time. In 1951 she met and married a rodeo cowboy, Robert W Pickerel in Sandpoint, Idaho and they traveled to New York City, New York where he competed in the RCA Rodeo Nationals in Bull Riding & Bareback horses; winning enough points to finish in the money. They stayed with friends in Hell’s Kitchen while he competed at Madison Square Gardens. Upon their return to the Northwest, they made their home in Post Falls Idaho at the end of State Line Road raising a family and traveling the Rodeo Circuit in the west. While raising five children they pursued independent business opportunities including cattle ranching, What-W-Way-To-Go Horse Transportation hauling, Stock-Haulers Inc, cattle hauling, a feedlots in Otis Orchards, WA, ranches in Rexford, Mt & Augusta, MT, horse boarding, buying and selling livestock and even a winter of lambing/sheep wrangling in the Spokane Valley. Charlene filled her life with family and friends, golf and camping, boating, cooking, and travel. She sewed and was a talented weaver; belonging to the Spokane Weavers Guild. She visited fourteen countries and love to see new places. Road trips near and far and “a ride” was her wish up to her last days. She worked as a helpmate to husband Bob, was a bookkeeper, bank teller, personnel manager, even refinished a Hollywood boat in what now is the Industrial park in the late 60’s and painted all interiors of the numerous houses they bought, remodeled and sold. She loved her job at the Visitors Center at the Idaho-Washington state line and helped many a tourist to know “how to see the northwest” which really was her "home". Charlene’s passions were reading, travel, and life-long learning. She always inspired a sense of adventure and independence her entire life. Her motto was “try, fail and try harder” which she exemplified in her daily life.
Charlene is survived by her Brother Richard Quigley, Kennewick, WA; her Children, John Pickerel, Winters, CA, Dan Pickerel, Spokane, WA, Tori Pickerel, Nehalem, Or, Holly Pickerel, San Diego, CA; Wendi Pickerel, Seattle, WA. Many Grandchildren and many Great Grandchildren and Nieces & Nephews. She was proceeded in death by husband of 39 years; Robert William Pickerel. There will be a Celebration of Life in her favorite Landmark on the Oregon Coast; Cannon Beach Oregon, at Haystack Rock on January 14, 2017 with a lunch following. Please in Lu of flowers send a remembrance in her name to: Dementia Society of America - PO Box 600 - Doylestown, PA 18901 Dementia Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
~A Wake at The Beach~
Janaury 14, 2017 Cannon Beach, Oregon
We realize that because of the location of the wake some will not be able to attend. In lieu of attending, please leave a note, remembrance, photo, or a story about Charlene here on her memorial site. Her family would love to hear from you.
Charlene’s only lifelong wish for memorial arrangements was that her family not let her "rot in the ground". Therefore, Charlene Pickerel's family invite you to celebrate our mother's life and sadly, her death:
SATURDAY JANUARY 14
AT TWO O’CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON
TWO THOUSAND AND SEVENTEEN
CANNON BEACH, OREGON
RATHER THAN A WAKE, IT'S A PARTY FOR OUR MOM...PLEASE JOIN US
The Details
2 PM* | MEET AT HAYSTACK ROCK TIDE POOLS
Spread Charlene's ashes and say a few words
*Bad weather plan: strait to 3 PM linner
2:45 PM | HAYSTACK ROCK TO WAYFARER RESTAURANT
3 PM | HOSTED LINNER (Lunch + Dinner) AT THE WAYFARER
Toast Charlene and tell stories
1190 Pacific Drive, Cannon Beach, OR 97110
Children welcome
Please RSVP BY JANAURY 6TH
Everyone is welcome. Please RSVP via your formal e-invitation (Paperless Post) you were sent or directly to Wendi Pickerel (wpickerel@outlook.com) by January 6th. If you know someone who should receive this information and has not, please direct them to this memorail site or have them call or email Wendi: 206-816-2000 / wpickerel@outlook.com.
For hotel or overnight arrangements at or near by Canon Beach, because it is Martin Luther King Weekend, please make your lodging reservations soon. At last check (11/12/2016), Air B&B and VRBO had many options available in Cannon Beach.
