Martha L. Pickett
Chelsea, VT – Martha L. Pickett, 83 died Thursday, September 18, 2025
at the Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, VT after a fall at home.
She was born March 6, 1942, in Chelsea, VT the daughter of Harold and
Edith (Keyes) Luce, and was raised on a farm in Brookfield, VT,
helping with the various chores.
She attended school in Randolph, VT, graduating in 1959 from Randolph
Union High School. On September 1, 1960, she married Lawrence R.
“Larry” Pickett. They lived four years in Tunbridge before building
their home in Chelsea where they have lived since. Larry died December
28, 2019.
Martha first worked at Merrimaids in Randolph after high school. Larry
and Martha then started their own business, Pickett’s Inc., which
first was a gas delivery, plumbing, and heating business, but then
evolved to be an excavating business. Martha worked as the bookkeeper
until their son took over the business in 2020. Her favorite job
though was being a mom and grandmother. She loved being involved with
anything for kids, and she became surrogate mom and gram to many.
She enjoyed mowing the lawns at home, riding around with Larry, doing
puzzles, word searches and crossword puzzles, and taking care of
children. She was the daycare for all of her grandchildren until they
started school, and then she was the after-school provider for them
until they were old enough to be on their own. She never hesitated to
bring a forgotten book to school or pick up a grandchild from school.
She had been on the Chelsea School Board, PTA, a 4-H leader in
Chelsea, and helped with fundraising for the First Branch Ambulance.
She is survived by a son Lawrence “Larry” Pickett and his wife
Suzanne; three daughters: Lori Pickett, Loretta Pickett and Larena
Pickett and her husband Jack Showerman all of Chelsea, VT; three
brothers: Russell Luce and his wife Cheryl of Hudson Falls, NY,
Clayton Luce and his partner Ginny of Enosburg Falls, VT and Kevin
Luce and his partner Deb of Calais, VT; two sisters: Donna Weston of
Middlesex, VT and Cynthia Manning and her husband Glenn of Chelsea,
VT; four grandchildren: Samantha, Addison, Jacklynn, and Emma and her
husband Adam, and a great grandson, Axel Saucier; and a
brother-in-law, Raymond Pickett of Waitsfield, VT; and many nieces and
nephews.
Memorial calling hours will be held Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 5
to 7pm at the Boardway and Cilley Funeral Home, 300 VT RTE 110,
Chelsea, VT. A private graveside service will be held at a later date
in Riverside Cemetery in Chelsea, VT.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to either;
First Branch Ambulance, P.O. Box 74, Chelsea, VT 05038 or Lewy Body
Dementia Assoc., Inc., 912 Killian Hill Rd., S.W., Lilburn, GA 30047.
A private message of sympathy for the family can be shared at
www.boardwayandcilley.com.