Frank Gambill Pickering, 62, passed away Sept. 16 at his Farragut home surrounded by his family after a valiant struggle with prostate cancer.
Frank was the fourth of eight children born to Stan and Ellen Clancy Pickering of Fountain City. After attending St. Joseph School and graduating from Knoxville Catholic High School in the class of 1975, Frank attended the University of Tennessee, where he graduated in 1981 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He was a devoted lifetime follower of the Vols.
He enjoyed a long career as a professional engineer, applying his talents for Westinghouse-Savannah River, SAIC, and Leidos. He fell in love with Leticia Saldaña in 1984 while both were working at TVA as engineers, and they had been happily married for 33 years. Faith and family were always the most important things to Frank.
He and Leticia raised their three children to believe the same. Their children followed Frank’s example, having attended and graduated from St. Joseph, Knoxville Catholic High School, and the University of Tennessee.
Service to God and his fellow man was the hallmark of Frank’s life. He was a lifelong member of Holy Ghost Catholic Church. To know Frank was to love him and to know the love of Christ. He is preceded in death by brother John Clancy Pickering.
He is survived by his wife, Leticia, and daughter, Leticia Marie Natour (Joey); and sons Frank Jr. (Jenny); and John; and grandson Frank Gambill III. He also is survived by his parents; sisters Ellen Hunter (Bob); Judy Pickering; Angel Brewer (Bill); and Regina Lovelace (William); brothers Stanley Pickering (Kathy) and Jim Pickering (Stephanie); and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.
A funeral Mass was held Sept. 21 at Holy Ghost Church celebrated by Father Bob O’Donnell, CSP. Interment was in Calvary Cemetery, Knoxville. In memory of Frank, the family requests that donations be made to Medic Regional Blood Center.
