Sylvia Sue Pickering

Sylvia Sue was born to Elizabeth (Nelson) and Ralph Henderson in 1937 in Omaha, Nebraska. Her mother was a 3rd grade teacher and her father a civil engineer (both with degrees from KU). She joined her older brother Louis to complete their family of four. Her favorite childhood memories were of visiting her grandparent’s farm in Kansas and playing with her dearest cousin Sam Stoker in the New Mexico desert. She and Cousin Sammy never tired of exploring the wilderness.

Her father’s job, a major in the Army Corp of Engineers, required moving frequently, so the family lived in a trailer and moved around the midwest until they settled back in Omaha where she and Lou attended Westside High School. Sue was an excellent student and graduated from Westside High School in 1955. She was a cheerleader, and crowned Homecoming Queen her senior year.

Sue attended University of Nebraska at Omaha, was a member of Chi Omega Sorority, and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Dietetics (1959). She earned her Masters Degree of Science from University of Nebraska Lincoln in Food and Nutrition (1974). Sue loved the charm of the South and did her internship at Charity Hospital in New Orleans.

Her dietician career led her to the position of Chief Clinical Dietitian at Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. During her time at Immanuel, she developed new programs in nutrition involving risk screening, quality assurance, care plans, special diets, weight reduction, and drug/food interaction cards. She was awarded the “Extra Mile” award for her kindness and excellence in her work. Sue served as President of Omaha’s Dietetic Association (1977) and board member of Nebraska Dietetic Association (1980).

Sue taught nutrition to nursing and medical students at Midland Lutheran College and University of Nebraska Omaha. Additionally she served as guest lecturer on various nutrition topics for the Methodist Oncology Department, Nebraska Nursing Association, Creighton University, Metro Community College, Iowa Western Community College, and UNO Athletic Department. She attended professional training with the American Heart Association in St. Louis, International Diabetic Center in Minnesota, and Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts.

Sue married Seymour Cy Seitchick in 1961. Cy had served in the Air Force, played basketball for Kansas State University, a basketball coach, the Athletic Director of the Jewish Community Center, Scout for the Philadelphia Phillies Baseball team, nominated to Athletic Commissioner for the State of Nebraska, and sold insurance for Northwestern Mutual. They lived a vibrant social life, attending Nebraska football games, helping with political campaigns most notably for President Jimmy Carter, and had 3 daughters together - Cindy, Sara, and Becky.

In 1978, Cy died at age 48 from cancer. A year later, Sue married a clinical psychologist and author, Dr. Jim Fargher. He and his son James joined the Seitchick family before they divorced in 1988.

Sue sold her home in Omaha and moved to a small A-frame cabin on the Platte River in Ashland, NE. Her love of nature beckoned her to water, birds, sail boating, and beautiful scenic landscapes. Sue eventually met and fell in love with her neighbor, Avery Pickering Sr., who owned an automotive repair shop in Lincoln. They were married 25 years before he died at age 92. They enjoyed many years of fun adventures with family camping in Colorado and Oregon, and vacationing in Mexico with her brother Lou and his wife Ula. They also enjoyed attending most every home football game at University of Nebraska Memorial Stadium with the same season tickets year after year. Best of all, they enjoyed many evenings sitting on their little dock at their cabin home on the Platte River and watching Turner Classic Movies together by the fireplace.

After Sue retired from her work as a dietician, she began a second career developing her beloved hobby - creating, teaching, and selling watercolor art. Her husband Avery built her an art studio in their home. Sue continued to improve to win “Best of Show” at local art shows while she co-opped at The Passageway Art Gallery selling her work in the Old Market. For years she taught art to Sudanese refugees while helping them learn English. Sue served as President of the Omaha Artist Association and inspired many retirees to begin painting as a second “career.”

Sue loved concerts, theater, dance, the arts, and classical music. For years she attended the symphony once a month with her daughter Rebecca and best friends Mary Pat, Ruthie, and Gayle. She was an avid reader of several genres and treasured poetry. She was a romantic intellect at heart. At the end of her life, her number one t.v. series was “Monk.” She would often sing the theme song, “it’s a jungle out there”.

Sue was a passionate environmentalist with a particular fondness of birds and waterfowl. She delighted in serene nature hikes and canoeing the Niobrara River. She was transfixed by the migration of the Sandhill Cranes in Kearny, NE. The oceans and beach were her favorite. Sailboating was her dream. She owned a small sailboat that she took out on local lakes. She and Avery also enjoyed many years of gardening, growing and canning vegetables.

Sue had a passion for social justice - always supporting the oppressed. She was very generous towards family and her favorite charities included Audubon Society, Green Peace, Habitat For Humanity, Sierra Club, Amnesty International and World Vision.

Sue loved her grandchildren’s company, the joy of her life. She attended their many events and enjoyed the happy convenience of living nextdoor to Sara & Chris, babysitting often, attending her grandchildrens’ events - baseball, piano recitals, basketball, gymnastics, and flag football games.

Sue had a sweet tooth and loved to eat cookies. She had a notable contagious laugh. Her daughters Sara and Rebecca were her primary caregivers and she lived happily with them after her husband Avery died. Sylvia died peacefully on March 2, 2023 at the age of 86 around 10:30 p.m. at the home of Sara & Chris Nault in Ashland, NE, the cabin she originally bought and loved so much. Family spent the day with her and her oldest daughter, Cindy, held her hand as she took her last breath.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her first husband Seymour Seitchick, her husband Avery Pickering, and her brother Louis Henderson.

Sue is survived by her 3 Seitchick daughters and their spouses - Cynthia Anne (& John) Narvaiz of Torrance,California; Sara Lynn (& Chris) Nault of Ashland, Nebraska; and Rebecca Sue Seitchick (& fiancée Jay West) of Elkhorn, Nebraska; 6 grandchildren - Angelica & Jeremiah Narvaiz; Sam, Eric, Max (& Kayleigh), and Molly Sue Nault; 1 great-grandchild Evalyn Nault; sister-in-law Ulla Henderson of Frederick, Maryland; nephew John Henderson of Frederick, Maryland; and several cousins.

Memorials to the family can be sent to

Rebecca Seitchick

Concordia Jr-Sr High School

15656 Fort Street

Omaha, Ne 68116