Longtime San Luis Valley resident James “Jim” Leroy Pickett, 68, passed away on Sept. 11, 2025, at San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center in Alamosa.
A quiet man, soft-spoken,
with eyes that saw more than they said.
he carried his kindness like a steady lantern-
never bright and blinding,
but enough to light the path beside him.
He was a veteran, though he wore it lightly,
never boasting only bearing.
the kind of strength that doesn't shout,
but shows itself in work-worn hands,
stacking hay under the summer sun,
content with the rhythm of labor.
Jim loved the sky.
He let the wind carry kites upward,
as though setting free
some part of himself
that only the clouds could understand.
He shaped wood into something useful,
something lasting,
the same way he shaped his days-
with care, with patience,
with the small dignity of craft.
Always with Tio by his side,
his loyal companion trotting along
he was never truly alone.
"Ya know," he'd often say,
with a half-smile,
inviting you to share the moment with him.
And on Halloween nights,
while others passed out candy,
Jim handed the children a can of sardines---
a gift as unexpected as the man himself,
more trick than treat but full of heart,
and remembered with laughter.
Slightly odd, perhaps-
but odd in the best way. Kind. Gentle. True.
A soul who left the world quietly
but better for having having passed through it.
Rest easy, Jim.
The wind is strong,
the sky is wide,
and your kite will always fly.
By Quinton Norris
Jim is survived by his mother Lois Pickett of Knoxville, TN, his siblings Marjorie (Victor) Barr of Knoxville TN, Paul (Kathleen) Pickett of Black Forest, CO, Keith Pickett of Monte Vista, CO, and Juie Johanson of Lincoln, NE, as well as 7 nieces and nephews special friends Larry and Audrey Schmidt of La Jara, CO, and Randy Dye of Alamosa, CO, as well as his faithful furry companion Tio.
He was preceded in death by his father Robert L. Pickett.
Cremation has been selected and performed at the Rogers Family Mortuary Crematory. To leave online condolences, tributes and words of comfort for Jim’s family please visit www.RogersFunerals.com. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots online at https://www.toysfortots.org or mailed to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation at 18251 Quantico Gateway Drive, Triangle, VA 22172-1776.
