Dennis Ray Pickens

Dennis Ray Pickens, 76, passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 7, 2023.

Dennis was born September 28, 1946, in Pocatello, Idaho, the son of Eugene V. Pickens and Blanche Haywood Pickens. Dennis was the youngest of seven brothers and grew up in Pocatello. Dennis attended Pocatello High through his junior year and was one of the seniors in the first graduating class of Highland High School in 1964. As a young man, he worked at Frazier’s Market in the bakery. In 1966 Dennis joined the U.S. Army Reserves where he served five years. In 1968, Dennis married Donna Schiers. They were married for 17 years and had two daughters, Nicole Pickens and Terri Pickens. For many years, Dennis worked for Taysom Construction and later he owned and operated DP Construction, until he retired in 2010.

Dennis was active in many local civic organizations throughout his life. In the late 1970’s Dennis volunteered as a Chubbuck Police Reserve Officer. During that time, he was also active in the Chubbuck Lion’s Club. From the late 1980s to late 1990s, Dennis was a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. In 1999, Dennis became a Charter Member of the Southeast Idaho Mule Deer Foundation, where he served for many years. Since 2013, Dennis was a member of the Bannock Civitans where he volunteered his time and was able to combine his commitment to service with the enjoyment of friends.

Dennis enjoyed the great outdoors, hunting, fishing, boating, off road motorcycle and four wheeler riding, snowmobiling, camping, bowling, and horseshoe and dart leagues. Dennis loved racing cars, both stock cars and drag racing. Dennis also had a great passion for cooking, probably stemming from his early days working in a bakery. Dennis passed on many of these passions to his daughters, teaching them both to hunt, fish, camp, Dutch oven cooking, and even drag racing.

The past couple of years were hard on Dennis with a diabetes diagnosis and double amputation. But being the stubborn Pickens he was, Dennis was able to get prosthetics and learn to walk again. Dennis has spent the past year and a half living in Boise near Nicole and Terri. This last summer, Dennis was able to try out those new legs and go camping with his daughters and grandchildren at Lake Cascade State Park, doing what he loved, spending time in the great outdoors of Idaho with his family.

Dennis was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Eugene, Kenneth and Leonard. He is survived by his daughters, Nicole and Terri; three grandchildren, Brayden Hensley, Maya Yost and Parker Cook; and three brothers, Robert (Jean), Harvey, and Ron.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 14, 2023 at 2 pm at Colonial Chapel, 2005 S. 4th Ave. Pocatello, ID. Graveside services will be held at Mountain View Cemetery, 1520 S. 5th Avenue Pocatello, Idaho, immediately following the services.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Diabetes Association.

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