Jim Pickering

Jim Pickering, 75, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Thursday, May 7, 2020, at Crestview Acres, Marion. Private Family Celebration of Life Service: 1 p.m. Monday, May 11, 2020, by Celebrant Dawn Stephens, at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids. Friends and extended family are invited to watch the services via livestream on Facebook. Search for and join the Remembering Jim Pickering Facebook group for more information. Inurnment: Lafayette Cemetery, rural Alburnett. Survivors include his wife of over fifty years, Antonette 'Toni'; children, James Paul Pickering (Kevin Phillips), Samuel 'Pick' (Samantha) Pickering, Pippin (Carolyn) Pickering, Aerin (Nate) Freno, Kenley (MaryBeth) Pickering, Kerrin 'KK' (Sam) Magu, and Elen 'Tom' Pickering; 10 grandchildren; and several extended family members and friends. James Patrick Pickering was born July 10, 1944, in Alburnett, to Paul and Anna (Usher) Pickering. Jim earned his Master's Degree in Psychology in 1966. He taught at Coe for several years after, until switching gears and teaching himself computer technology. He married Antonette 'Toni' Kirchner after meeting in college during an experiment Jim was conducting in which she skewed the results. The rest is history. Jim worked in construction for several years, then transitioning into computer programming and AutoCAD for Pickwick and most recently, Alliant Energy. Jim had a highly intelligent and creative mind. Good with his hands, he enjoyed woodworking, leather-working, playing bass guitar, inventing games, treasure and scavenger hunts, and Dungeons and Dragons maps to play with his kids'even creating different toy swords for everyone to play with. Jim enjoyed writing, and some of his works have been published. Jim's character was noteworthy; he was patient, kind, well-liked, and even fit the bill of a laid back, and goofy absent-minded professor. Brilliant in many ways, the brilliance of his love for his family shone the brightest. He was preceded in death by his parents; and siblings, Richard 'Pete' Pickering and Linda Prescott. In memory of Jim, his family asks that you do or create something as unique as his essence was throughout his life.