Doyle Ray Pickett

Doyle Ray Pickett

SHREVEPORT, LA- Doyle Ray Pickett passed away peacefully on Friday, December 12, 2014 at age 87 after a lengthy illness. He was born October 31, 1927 to Grady Bert and Nora Glasgow Pickett in Bradley, Arkansas.

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his sons, Ross Pickett and Mark Pickett, his sister, Dorothy Pickett Burke, and brother, Grady Bert (G.B.) Pickett, Jr.

Services will be held at First United Methodist Church, Shreveport, Louisiana on Saturday, December 20, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. Officiated by Dr. Pat Day. Interment will follow at Springhill Cemetery in Springhill, Louisiana. Friends are invited to a visitation with family on Friday, December 19, 2014 from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport, LA.

Doyle grew up in Springhill, Louisiana after his parents moved there in 1937 to open Pickett's Grocery Store. By the age of ten he was delivering groceries on his bicycle after school. He attended Springhill High School and during this time became one of the youngest in the area to achieve Eagle Scout, one of his most memorable achievements. Doyle attended Louisiana State University on an American Legion scholarship and graduated at age 19. After college, he returned to Springhill and with his brother, G.B., opened The Lumberjack Cafe across the street from the family store. It was the first air conditioned building in Springhill. With their beginnings in the restaurant business, Doyle and his brother formed Pickett Food Service in 1947. The business moved to Shreveport around 1968 and became one of the largest privately owned industrial food and vending companies in the South serving customers in five states. Pickett Industries, a land fill and excavation business began after son Mark joined the business and was created from a need by International Paper to handle landfill operations at their plants. By 1973, Doyle and a business partner bought Coastal Towing, Inc., a small barge company that they grew to be, at one time, the largest "black oil" business in the United States with 130 barges and 34 towboats. Doyle worked countless hours providing professional and ethical services for his many customers and employees.

Doyle was an active civic leader and served in leadership roles of numerous organizations: President of the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, Director of First National Bank of Shreveport, and President of the Shreveport Country Club. Doyle also contributed greatly in the direction of many organizations: Metropolitan YMCA, Committee of 100, Ark-La-Tex Ambassadors Club, United Way Fund, American Red Cross, the Eighth Air Force Committee at Barksdale Air Force Base, and Downtown Rotary Club of Shreveport.

Doyle loved the outdoors and enjoyed hunting and fishing trips with his family and friends. He loved time spent at his cattle ranch in New Mexico, family time in Durango, Colorado and spoiling his ever-present furry rescued companions Dolly, Molly, GiGi and Cassie.

He is survived by his wife of 19 years, Patricia (Pat) Kellogg Pickett; June Minnich Pickett, mother of his children; their daughter, Tamera Pickett Hamm and husband, Dr. Jeff Hamm, of Dallas, TX; grandchildren, DeAnn Pickett Matza and husband John of St. Augustine, FL, Brooke Pickett, Kelly Pickett, Golda Pickett of New Orleans, LA, Jeff Hamm of Houston, TX and Charlotte Hamm of Dallas, TX; two great- grandchildren, Susanna Matza and Emmett Chavanne; step-children, Stephen Kellogg, his wife Anita and daughter Olivia of Round Rock, TX, Carol McNally, her husband David and their children Shelby, Ellie, and Scott of Spring, TX; cousin, Duane Potter, his wife Ann of Dallas, TX; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Honoring Doyle as pallbearers will be Dr. Jeff Hamm, Jeffrey Hamm, Stephen Kellogg, John Matza, David McNally and Trey Morris. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Sandra Morehart and Linda White.

Doyle dearly loved and was a longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Shreveport where he helped to establish the Eternal Flame. Memorials may be made to The Eternal Flame Fund of First United Methodist Church of Shreveport, 500 Common St., Shreveport, LA, 71101.