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COLONIAL FUNERAL HOME obituary
1801 EAST RED RIVER STREET, VICTORIA, TX 77901 | 361-578-3535

Charles "Chuck" William Pickering
September 5, 1930 - December 14, 2016

Visitation
Saturday, December 17, 2016 | 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Colonial Funeral Home
Driving Directions

Funeral Service
Saturday, December 17, 2016 | 2:00 pm
Colonial Funeral Home
Driving Directions

Charles "Chuck" Pickering, 86, passed away quietly on Wednesday, December 14, 2016, surrounded by his loving family. He was born September 5, 1930 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to the late George W. Pickering and Clara Jacobsen. He moved with his family at a young age to Victoria, Texas where his dad and grandfather worked for Barnsdall Oil. Chuck and his brother spent an active youth in Boy Scouts, swimming in the Guadalupe and hunting squirrels in Riverside Park.
Chuck had many loves in life including family, Texas A&M, and petroleum. He graduated from Victoria High School in 1948, where he played football, had fellowship with their local friends in a fraternal club and drove an old model "T" he kept running with bailing wire. He married his childhood sweetheart, the former Karen "Dodo" Krenek, also of Victoria. Chuck proudly served in the Air Force during the Korean War. He returned to be a part of the fighting Texas Aggie Class of 1957 while earning his master's degree in Petroleum Engineering. During his time at A&M, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets in the B Coastal Unit. Chuck was a diehard Aggie fan. When Texas A&M scored, Chuck would always jump out of his chair with excitement, even when he reached his 80s. This love and devotion to the Aggies was passed on to many generations. Chuck was a loving father and grandfather, an avid outdoorsman and master barbequer, he loved watching sports and spending time at the Pickering Ranch in Sabinal, Texas.
Petroleum engineering was very important to Chuck. He had the opportunity to travel to many different places to find oil. He worked for several different organizations, and retired after many long years in the industry. His last position was at C.W. Pickering, Inc. The love of oil spread all over the family and many decided to follow in his footsteps.
Chuck was married to his bride, Karen, for 62 years and they had four wonderful children, Joseph, William, Patricia, and Charles. Over the years, Chuck gained nine grandchildren, Jeffrey, Sara, Tracey, Michael, Rachel, Matthew, Malcolm, Nicholas, and Oliver, and four great-grandchildren, Tyler, Clara, Gwendolyn, and Henry. Chuck would always get his grandkids laughing by tickling them or pretending to sit on them.
Friends and family will gather for a visitation between 1 - 2 pm followed by a Funeral Service at 2:00 pm on Saturday, December 17, 2016 at Colonial Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to donor's choice. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.colonialfuneralhomevictoria.com