Pickart, Joseph Albert

Joseph Albert Pickart, 86, of Scottsdale, Ariz., formerly of Cedar Rapids and Coralville, died Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010, in Scottsdale. Services: 10 a.m. Thursday, Saint Daniels Church, Scottsdale. Burial: 11 a.m. Friday, National Veterens Cemetery, Phoenix, Ariz. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Messengers Mortuary in Scottsdale.

Survivors include his wife, Helen Pickart (Travnicek); children, Tom, Jerry and Debbie; brothers, Lyle (Aileen) and Glen (Mary); sisters, Hazel Dvorak, Ruth Jacobs and Sister Romaine (Pearl); and a sister-in-law, Ruth Marie Pickart.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Mary (Boddicker) and Oscar Pickart; an infant son; brothers, Clyde and Chuck; in-laws, Stanley and Dolores Travnicek, Marlin (Ruth) Jacobs, Elsie (Clyde) Pickart, Faith (Chuck) Pickart and Charlie (Hazel) Dvorak; and niece and nephew, Sherry and Rick Travnicek.

Joe was born on Feb. 4, 1924, on a farm in between Norway and Watkins, Iowa. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corp. After the war, he played baseball for the Chicago Cubs Organization. During the off season he worked at Quaker Oats where he met Helen Travnicek. They were married on Oct. 1, 1949, in Cedar Rapids.

In the early 50s, he opened Pickart Mattress in Iowa City and Coralville. He also played in the Carol Chipman Band and an officer in the American Legion in Coralville for many years. He was in business until February 1967 when he then moved to Arizona and worked in the carpet business and played in several bands.