LEROY W. PICKETT JR.

Mr. LeRoy W. Pickett Jr., 80, of 1410 S. 30th St., died at 2:13 a.m. Friday (March 17, 2006) in Blessing Hospital.

Born November 13, 1925 in Danville, Illinois, LeRoy was the son of LeRoy R. and Alline Adams Pickett Sr. He married Letha Thrasher on November 17, 1946 in Quincy. She died on August 10, 2003.

LeRoy attended the First Christian Church in Lewistown, Missouri. He was a member of Bodley Masonic Lodge No. 1, Quincy Consistory, Ghazzeh Grotto, Fraternal Order of Eagles # 535, Illinois Association of Retired Firefighters and the Quincy Retired Firefighters of which he was a founding member and had served as Secretary for many years. He also was a volunteer at Blessing Hospital for 17 years. Mr. Pickett served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps during WW II seeing action in the Marianas Islands, Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands. He received the Purple Heart.

Mr. Pickett began his career as a firefighter with the Quincy Fire Department on April 1, 1954. He retired as a Lieutenant on July 1, 1979.

Surviving are two sons, Ronald L. Pickett and his wife Donna of Taylor, MO. and Donald L. Pickett and his wife Kay of Quincy; a daughter, Karen Elsie of Quincy; seven grandchildren, Lori Ann Whaley and her husband Rodney, Thomas Pickett and his wife Michele, Scott Pickett and his wife Erin, Amanda Elsie and Christina L. Higdon and her husband Eric all of Quincy, Deena Wolfe and her husband Michael of Fernandina Beach, FL. and David Budde of Canton, MO.; eleven great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Mr. Pickett was preceeded in death by his parents; his wife; and a sister, Helen Pritchett.

Funeral services will be held Monday morning at 10:30 in the Zehender Robinson Stormer Cookson Funeral Home by the Rev. Roger Selves. Entombment with Military Honors by Quincy American Legion Post 37 will be in the Quincy Memorial Park Mausoleum.

Visitation will be Sunday afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 and Monday until the time of services at the funeral home. Bodley Lodge No. 1 will conduct Masonic Services Sunday evening at 6:00 at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the Skilled Care Unit of Blessing Hospital.