Betty May Pickett

Betty May Pickett, age 88, of Balboa Island, CA went to be with the Lord on March 4, 2011. “Mimi,” as she came to be known, was born in Pasadena on Aug. 15, 1922 and grew up in Long Beach where she went to Long Beach Poly High School. There as a cheerleader she first met Gene Pickett, an athlete, who would be her husband for 66 ½ years until she passed.

Betty May and Gene went on to the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in Education. Ten weeks after Betty May and Gene married on June 27, 1944, Gene went to serve in the WWII infantry in Italy, while Betty May left school for two years to work in the munitions factory in support of the war effort, followed by her graduation from Cal in 1945. In 1952, Betty May and Gene moved to Downey, Ca. and acquired “Marker’s Preserving Kitchen”, a business that manufactured homemade jams, jellies and chocolate candies, marketing these goods in handmade gift packs to the business community. This business landed the Picketts on the cover of Business Week in 1959. There in Downey she was president of the Assistance League and was involved in St. Marks’ Episcopal Church. Betty May moved to Balboa Island with her husband where they have lived for the last 43 years.

“Mimi” always gave more than received. For all those years she made the Pickett home a place of love, nurture, and hospitality, where literally hundreds found warmth, kindness and hope. She is famous among her grandchildren for hosting overnight slumber parties and playing games of all kinds, day or night. In Newport Beach, she played tennis at the Balboa Bay Cub and played bridge with her long- time friends in their self-titled “Newport Invitational” group. While in Newport, she attended both Mariner’s Church and a St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Covenant Group.

She is dearly loved and will be so missed by her husband, Gene, her four children—Michael, Kathleen, Christine and Todd--her eight grandchildren, and all who frequented the Island home for so many years. Services will be held at 11 am at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Newport Beach, CA on Monday, March 14, 2011. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be in Betty May’s name to GoGo Grandmothers (www.gogograndmothers.com) or The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (www.fca.org).

Arrangements under the direction of Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary FD1176, Corona Del Mar, CA.