Robert “Bobby” Darin Pickett, 58, died peacefully on February 2, 2024 at the Kansas City Hospice House. He was greatly loved by his family, friends, and the many students he taught.

Bobby was born on March 4, 1965 in Houston, TX. He enjoyed being part of a large family – he was the sixth of nine kids, and shared many stories of his childhood on Barryknoll: playing pepper in the cul-de-sac, card games, boxing, ping pong, hunting for turtles, fish stick eating contests, entering the family rotation for doing dishes, playing cribbage, listening to music, Blue Bell ice cream, and negotiating bathroom time for the one bathroom shared by so many kids.

Bobby excelled in sports. He went to McNeese State University on a football scholarship, and the next year transferred to San Jacinto Jr. College in Houston on a baseball scholarship. The San Jac baseball team won the NJCAA World Series that year, and Bobby (centerfielder) was named to the NJCAA All Star Team. Bobby was then recruited by the baseball team at the University of Alabama Birmingham. While playing for UAB, Bobby helped draw the largest crowd to a home baseball game at that time when UAB played Auburn. It may have helped that Bo Jackson played in that game – but who’s to say? He also relished the fact that he got ejected from a game versus South Alabama after a “skirmish” at first base with Luis Gonzalez. This led to the chant from opposing teams’ fans – “You want a fight – Pickett!” Bobby LOVED hearing that and it made him try harder. Later in life Bobby completed five marathons and became an accomplished golfer.

Bobby met Diane Ohl, a Yankee on a golf scholarship, at UAB. In one of their first encounters, Bobby ripped apart his accounting textbook and threw it out the window – apparently, he didn’t like debits and credits, and his grade in that class reflected that. Little did he know that Diane would become a CPA. Diane ignored this red flag, and they went on their first date to Bennigan’s. Bobby recited the names and birth order of his 8 brothers and sisters, and then quizzed her. Future teacher in the works? That romantic first date sealed the deal and they married the next year. At the time of Bobby’s death, they were married for 36 years – Diane will miss his sense of humor, playing cards, watching sports with him, his lighting fast kitchen cleanup, riding with him in his beloved Ram pickup, and his loyalty to all those he cared about.

Bobby’s proudest accomplishment in life was being a dad to David and Rachel. He was grateful for summer vacations and school breaks when he could spend long stretches of time with them.  He loved coaching them in baseball and softball, cheering them on in soccer matches, basketball games, and cross country meets, going to movies and concerts with them, playing cards, taking family trips, and discussing books. He welcomed daughter-in-law Chloe West with open arms in 2022 and gained a newfound appreciation for Madonna and vintage fashion.

Bobby got great satisfaction in his teaching career. He took his job very seriously, but also managed to make his classroom a fun and safe space.  He taught for 25 years and loved most of the students (and tolerated a few – you know who you are) at Simmons Middle (Hoover, AL), Harmony Elementary, Sunset Ridge Elementary and Pleasant Ridge Middle (Overland Park, KS) and Wheatridge Middle (Gardner, KS). Bobby estimated that he taught approximately 2,000 students. Bobby was an avid reader, and encouraged his students to read anything that was interesting to them. When he ran into a former student, he would always ask “What are you reading?” Former students fondly recalled the mummified chickens, his Halloween costumes, wintergreen mints, and of course – learning his brothers’ and sisters’ names. He retired from teaching in 2022 to enjoy life and cross more items off his bucket list.

In 2019, Bobby was diagnosed with myxofibrosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer. From that point on, Bobby decided to live his best life with cancer, and he entered the “Give Cancer the Finger” era. Which he did often! He was an avid music fan and continued to play his guitars. He loved going to live shows, and he estimated he saw 450 acts – U2, Metallica, Garth Brooks, Prince, Stevie Ray Vaughan, ZZ Top, and Taylor Swift, just to name a few. He shared multiple playlists from Spotify with his friends, and he could usually name a song before anyone. His competitive nature surfaced when he played cards (bridge, poker, canasta, spades, tic, etc.), and he would unapologetically sneak a peek if someone was lame enough to hold their cards out. He did the NY Times crossword puzzle daily and played other word/logic games on-line with friends. Bobby went on bourbon tours in Louisville, played some top-rated golf courses throughout the US, and enjoyed a trip to Las Vegas with Rachel and David where one too many pool-side cocktails led to a family tattoo - a permanent reminder of the family’s love for one another. The highlight of “Give Cancer the Finger” era was attending the Super Bowl in 2023 in Arizona to watch the Chiefs beat the Eagles.

He is survived by his wife Diane (Overland Park, KS), son David Pickett and his wife Chloe West, and daughter Rachel Pickett (all residing in Kansas City, MO). Siblings include Chuck (Kathi) Pickett, Susan (David) Outon, Tom Pickett, Jim Pickett, Bill (Debbie) Pickett, Mary Pickett, Tina (Jesse) Martinez, brother-in-law Steve (Jackie) Ohl, and mother-in-law Ruth Anne Ohl, and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Rod and Laura Pickett, brother John, and father-in-law Art Ohl.

The family would like to thank:

KU Oncology Group - Dr. Powers, Dr. Savioz, Dr. Alt, and Tiffany Verhulst, RN and all the radiation technicians.

KC Hospice Care – Chris Nedbalek, RN and Duchess from the Home Visitation Team, and Tammy and Tony from the KC Hospice House (and all of the other staff who helped care for him).

Bobby’s family and friends who visited, offered support, encouragement, companionship, planned trips, sent cards, etc. There are too many to single out – thank you!

A celebration of life party will be held at a later date.

Donations in Bobby’s name can be directed to Caringbridge.org which was an effective way for Diane to communicate updates, or to Reach Out to Read Kansas City - https://www.kumc.edu/reach-out-and-read/about.html