Jane Bedwell Pickard's Obituary
Popular culture today is obsessed with the concept of the “strong woman.” Jane Bedwell Pickard was defining the strong woman long before the phrase became a catchword.
Born to Arthur V. and Jennie Lee McWhirter in 1938, Jane was a high school senior when she eloped with her first love, Thomas Hugh Bedwell. As a new bride and still just a teenager, she bravely accompanied Tommy to his military assignment in France. Returning to the states, she and Tommy raised three children, while Jane helped support the family as a hair dresser. They faced the hardships and challenges that many families face, and Jane always soldiered on, putting family first. She faithfully cared for Tommie during his battle with cancer until he passed away in 1984.
In the meantime, Jane had become a cafeteria manager with the Memphis City Schools. She loved and served the kids of Memphis for over 30 years. Service was her hallmark. She was a caregiver to several elderly relatives as well as continuing to be deeply involved with her own children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren.
At age 60, Jane was a bride again, this time marrying Sam Pickard. Sam and Jane enjoyed 22 years together as loving companions, as Grizzlies fans, as gardeners, and as “parents” to their little dog, Luke. Sam liked to assist Jane in the kitchen by disposing of a slice or two of her fabulous cakes and pies.
As well as their love for each other, Sam and Jane shared a love of family. Love of family meant spending time with family, hosting family, cooking for family, and becoming involved in the activities that family members were interested in. Jane held season tickets for Tigers football for over 20 years. She sat in the sun and wind and rain to see the games. She loved tailgating before the games. What she really loved was being with her family and friends. She wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to spend time with them and to have fun with them.
Jane began volunteering with Room In The Inn in 2016. She was able to spend time alongside family while serving neighbors experiencing homelessness.
Jane was also an active member of the Builders Sunday School Class at her church, Bartlett United Methodist Church.
Humble, giving, loving, a good mother, a loving wife, supportive through good times and bad- these are just some of the phrases Jane’s family kept repeating as they talked about how they think of her. Certainly, Jane was a picture of a very strong woman.
Jane is with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ now, but she leaves her family as her legacy, her loving husband, James Marquis (Sam) Pickard, her brother, Johnny McWhirter (Ruth), and her sister, Donna McWhirter Dusenbery (Steve), her children, Thomas Bedwell, Jr (Kelly), Jeffrey Bedwell (Jean), Teresa Bedwell Keith (Mike), her grandchildren, Rosabella Bedwell, Wesley Bedwell, Victoria Bedwell Maley (Paul), Lauren Keith DeLaune (Chad), Morgan Keith Wingfield (Baxter), Austin Keith, and Devin Keith, her great-grandchildren, London, Gabriel, Ollie, Connor, Paisley, Elle, Nora, and Gwen, and Sam Pickard’s son, Marquis Pickard (Rita).
Jane was preceded in death by Brandon Keith, her grandson.
The family will receive relatives and friends on Monday, June 7 from 1:00 pm until the time of the funeral service at 2:00 pm at Bartlett United Methodist Church, 5676 Stage Road in Bartlett. The burial will immediately follow at Memorial Park Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Avenue in Memphis.
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