Thomas Pickering

WELLFLEET – Thomas Richardson Pickering died peacefully on August 12, 2012 after long residence at Epoch of Harwich. His family would like to thank the Epoch of Harwich staff and Broad Reach Hospice for the excellence of their loving care both temporal and spiritual.

He leaves his wife of 69 years, Elizabeth Williamson Pickering and his two sons, Thomas Pickering, Jr. of Virginia Beach, Virginia and Richard Pickering of Wellfleet as well as five grandchildren; Chad Smith, Amy Smith Giangregorio, Karyn Foley, Elizabeth Pickering and Catherine Pickering Sheaffer; also two great grandchildren Anna and Nathan Foley. Thomas was also father of the late Judith Pickering Smith who predeceased him in 1976. He also leaves his sister-in-law Nancy Spainhour, a loving niece and nephew, and cherished cousins.

The son of a Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander from Wellfleet, Thomas was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1922. When not living on Cape Cod, he attended schools throughout the South, graduating from Norfolk’s Matthew Fontaine Maury High School. Thomas studied engineering at the College of William and Mary before entering the Armed Forces during World War II. As part of the Best Generation, he served at the Norfolk Naval Air Station as well as assignments to Champaign, Illinois; Madison, Wisconsin and Renton, Washington. He attended Officer Candidate School and ended the war as a Second Lieutenant. During the Korean War, he was company commander of a troop of African-American soldiers building the air station at Thule, Greenland.

After separation from the service in 1952 as a First Lieutenant, Thomas began a 30-year career in life and health insurance at John Hancock, Mass Mutual and New England Life. He raised his family in Braintree, Massachusetts. Thomas was an active brother in Delta Lodge A.F and A.M. ; and served as Sunday School teacher, deacon and trustee at the First Congregational Church of Braintree.

His family having been in the town since at least the 1830s, Wellfleet was always Thomas’s true home and he retired to the family’s Colonial home in the mid-Eighties. He became an active member of the Wellfleet Congregational Church, Truro Congregational Church, American Legion, Wellfleet Historical Society and the Adams Lodge A.F. and A.M. Known for his joyous, loving and welcoming spirit, Thomas particularly loved working spaghetti dinners at Adams Lodge, because it gave him a chance to talk with locals and with tourists every Wednesday. And he never met a dog that he didn’t like. One of his recent happy memories was a long visit with Wally the therapy dog.

A private service led by family friend Reverend Victoria Oman was held Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at the Nickerson Funeral Home in Wellfleet. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wellfleet Congregational Church, 200 Main Street, Wellfleet, Massachusetts 02667.