Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Dave (Mr. to me) Pickel was a man of his times and a respected role model for our Valley View/West Avenue community.
He knew his way around a tool box just as well as he knew how to mentor the neighborhoods kids, his own included. In a horseshoe populace of great folks from the Nardones, Colkets, Merrills, Grabawzycks around the corner to the Komlines and Potes ..Dave stood out as a guy always willing to lend a hand or give a ride on a cold morning.
A fun loving guy, he was famous for flashing the lights of his AA jet to the Gladstone community one early eve and dragging his son's friends along to Mets games. A new joke was always at hand.
It's been many years since my family moved there in the late 60's but if I had to pick one thought to describe him after all these years it would be family man. For all his good attributes, this one stands out for me. Always took care, never lost faith and was always and principally devoted to his wife. A toast.
