Heide Karin Picker

A memorial service for Heide will be held Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at First United Methodist Church, Boulder, CO 80301, followed by a reception.

Heide Karin Picker passed away at home on Sunday, May 4th, 2025. She was born on November 8th, 1939, in Schwetzingen, Germany to Elisabeth and Matthias Sibold. She grew up in Schwetzingen, a beautiful town just south of Heidelberg and after World War II, was privileged to live in the castle with her parents, grandparents and two sisters. The 120-acre beautiful castle gardens were Heide’s playground as a child. She grew to love nature, plants and beauty. She developed a love for textiles as she worked at the town clothing store, Sessler. She was an expert seamstress.

When she was in her teens, a young “American” soldier was touring the castle gardens with his friends and saw Heide and asked her for a guided tour. This American soldier had grown up in North Germany and spoke better German than English at the time. His name was William Picker and they were married within two years in 1959.

Heide moved with Willi to Kansas which was a big cultural shift for her. She missed good breads, German meats and sausages and white asparagus for which her hometown is famous. She supported her husband working as a seamstress while he attended Kansas State University to get his Electrical Engineering degree. They had their sons, Robert (Robby) in 1961 and Ralph 1965 in Manhattan, KS. When Willi got a job with IBM, they moved to Boulder, CO and have lived here ever since. Heide and Willi developed good friends in the German community and within IBM. These families grew up together which involved pig roasts, camping, dances, and just all-around good times.

As the boys grew up, Heide remained active. She was involved in volunteer groups and was known to arrive for meetings on her Honda 90 motorcycle in style. She was part of the International Women’s Luncheon group and loved being with people of different nationalities and cultures. She continued to sew and made elaborate costumes for Fasching/Mardi Gras, kids and grandkids play costumes, tents, camping gear, Frostline down coats or just about anything. Her love of plants filled her home with a greenhouse containing some 250+ exotic plants and trees. She could make anything grow. Heide and Willi loved to travel all over the world sight-seeing and scuba diving. Her favorite places included Machu Picchu, Galapagos Islands and diving in the Red Sea. Returning to Schwetzingen was always her favorite. They loved to take their motorhome camping with the boys, German family, and later with the grandkids – a favorite campground was Gore Creek Campground at Vail. Vail reminded her of home. For her 60th Birthday, she rode her bicycle up Vail pass! She was a fantastic cook and her family always looked forward to her Rouladen and Spätzle at Christmas time.

Heide was non-stop. She had more energy every day than some of us have in a year. She was strong, eager to learn new things and driven; lack of her presence is felt every day. She is survived by her two sisters Edith Lorentz (Dieter) of Ketsch, Germany, Renate Sibold, Brühl, Germany, husband, Willi, her son, Rob Picker (Gay) of Superior, her grandchildren Michael Picker (Jessi) of Butte, Montana, and Katie Hansen (Nate) of Wichita, Kansas. She was preceded in death by her parents Matthias and Elisabeth Sibold and her son Ralph Picker.

A memorial service for Heide will be held at 11:00 on Saturday, June 7th at First United Methodist Church in Boulder where the Pickers have been long-time members.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Boulder Homeless Shelter via: https://allroadsboco.org/ways-to-give/