Dianna Lee Singleton Pickering

Dianna Lee Singleton Pickering, 67, of Radford, Va. and formerly of Emmaus, Pa. and South Bend, Ind., died on Sunday, September 5, 2010 at her home surrounded by family. She was born September 8, 1942 in Danville, Ill., to the late Arthur J. Singleton and Maryel "Pat" (Patrick) Singleton. She married her high school sweetheart Timothy Lee Pickering in Joliet, Ill. on September 3, 1960. She is survived by her husband; children, Elizabeth Anne Pickering of Fleetwood, Pa., Christopher Lee Pickering of Roanoke, Shannon Kathleen Pickering Rigsbee of Roanoke; two granddaughters, Marielle Esther Pickering and Leah Christine Pickering of Edgewater, Md.; and brother, Steve Singleton of Ann Arbor, Mich. Dianna's education and training in music led to a long career of arts administration, in addition to work with a variety of social service organizations. Highlights of her career include director of culture and tourism for Downtown Allentown, executive director of Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, and managing agent for chamber music group Animé, a women's trio of flute, violin, and cello. She also served as board member and staff for DiscoveryWorks children's museum in Radford, and as director and/or leader on the boards of several non-profit organizations including Blacksburg Master Chorale, NRV Hospice, Free Clinic of the NRV, and Historic Smithfield Plantation. Dianna sang for many decades with various choral groups including the Blacksburg Master Chorale and Master Singers, and enjoyed producing their Robert Shaw concert in 1998.
Dianna earned her Master Gardener certificate in 1992, and for the past 20 years created beautiful landscapes from her own backyard of rock, clay, and shale, as well as at the Smithfield Plantation gardens, which she managed for a while. She enjoyed and excelled at a wide variety of creative pursuits including furniture refinishing, cooking, and pressed and dried flower prints. Dianna especially enjoyed traveling with her husband. Their favorite trips were a Greek Odyssey through Greece and Turkey, a French tour of Paris and Provence, and exploring Italy, especially Venice.
The family thanks the community for its loving support during Dianna's very difficult illness. There are so many to count and to name, we don't want to forget anyone. Friends are invited to support and visit with Dianna's family on Thursday, September 9, 2010 from 6 to 8 p.m. at McCoy Funeral Home, 150 County Club Drive, Blacksburg, Va. In lieu of flowers, friends may make a contribution to the Dianna Pickering Memorial Garden Fund, care of the Community Foundation of the NRV, P.O. Box 6009, Christiansburg, Va., 24068, which will be used to support establishment of native plantings at Smithfield Plantation. A celebration of Dianna's life and service to the community will be held on April 10, 2011 at the Smithfield Plantation Pavilion, at a time to be announced. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg.