Roger Pickering

Roger F. Pickering, 96, died on the morning of December 16, 2025, at his home in Wausau. He was born on January 31, 1929, in Hatley, WI, to Verne and Dora (Zoromski) Pickering. He married Marianne Stines in Glenview, Illinois, on February 7, 1953. 

He is survived by his children, Susan, Wauwatosa, WI; Bill (Joy Tapper), Wauwatosa, WI; and Barbara Dreas (Bill), Rib Mountain, WI; his grandchildren, Erin Greitens (Marc), Northbrook, IL; Emily Bauman, Wauwatosa, WI; Benjamin Pickering, London, UK; Joseph Pickering (Regan Keller), Oakland, CA; Ellen Pickering, Minneapolis, MN; Alexandria Dreas Stockwell (Ted Stockwell), Denver, CO; and Adam Reilly-Dreas (Megan), Durham, NC and his great grandson, Charlie Pickering, Oakland, CA. He is also survived by his brother Verne (Pat) of White Bear Lake, MN and his sister Nancy Madisen of Appleton, WI. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marianne; his parents, Verne and Dora, and his brother, Donald.

Roger was a graduate of UW-Madison and worked as a CPA in public accounting in Chicago and then in Wausau for Marathon Battery Company and the Northern Wisconsin Development Center. For his second career, he joined his brother Don at the Hatley Lumber Company, a retail lumber and building supply business started by his father and mother in the 1930s.

Roger loved life to the end. He was a life-long learner with a quick wit and gentle sense of humor. He loved telling stories and often did so with an amazingly accurate recall of details many decades old. An avid musician, he was a proud member of the Sid Kyler Dixieland Jazz Band for decades and played in his last weekly jam session four days before his passing. Above all, he deeply loved his family, particularly Marianne, his wife of 66 years who preceded him in death, and his grandchildren and great grandson. He always looked forward to the next family gathering, large or small, and cherished his piano, guitar, iPad, desserts and a Miller High Life. 

A memorial service will be held at the First Universalist Unitarian Church, 504 Grant Street, Wausau, on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at 3:00, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the River Valley Jazz Society for scholarships or Aspirus Hospice c/o Aspirus Health Foundation. 

Brainard Funeral Home- Wausau Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences can be directed to the family at www.brainardfuneral.com. 

Roger will be deeply missed by his family and friends.