Michael Henry Pickering of Bristol, Rhode Island, died Sunday, June 7, 2026, at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. He was 79.

Born July 12, 1946, in Pawcatuck, Conn., he was the only child of Frank and Ruby Maxine (Woodard) Pickering. Mike grew up in Connecticut and then Coventry, R.I., and graduated from Coventry High School, where he was a drummer in the marching band.

He enrolled at the University of Rhode Island as part of the U.S. Army ROTC program. He was also a volunteer firefighter, a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and a proud member of the drum line in the URI marching band. URI is where he met the long love of his life, Elinor “Ellie” Pickering.

Mike and Ellie both graduated from URI in 1968, were married a week later, and began a 58-year adventure together. They lived for nearly two years on an Army base in Germany, where they met a small group of lifelong friends. They took advantage of that time to travel extensively throughout Europe, seeing some of the world’s most famous and enduring sites.

Mike served in Vietnam for nearly a year during the Vietnam War, after which he and Ellie settled in Barrington, R.I., then Coventry, R.I., then multiple locations in Virginia, before they returned back home to Rhode Island to be closer to family.

Following his service in Vietnam, Mike enlisted in the Army Reserves and served for another 20 years, before retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His Army service was a source of immense pride, and stories of his friendships and adventures were plentiful. He was also active and served in leadership roles for Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 273.

Mike was a lifelong public servant. He was a volunteer firefighter at numerous stops, including the URI campus firehouse, as well as stations in Coventry, R.I., Virginia, and Barrington, R.I.

He served at many churches throughout the years and became a passionate volunteer with the Ocean State Veterans Treatment Court in his later years. He was a first-aid and EMT instructor. He was a proud member of the Bristol County Elks, where he found his way into many volunteer roles.

Through choice and opportunity, Mike reinvented himself professionally many times throughout his life. He began as one of the first two wetlands biologists for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, then spent more than 20 years as a salesman and sales manager for Stanley Bostich, selling industrial tools throughout New England and the mid-Atlantic.

When that career ended, new careers were launched. Mike sold cars for Autoshow Volvo, sold copy machines for a division of East Bay Printing, and obtained his Realtor’s license and joined the team at Century 21 Rondeau in Bristol, R.I.

In his late fifties, he launched a new pursuit and devoted his energy to becoming a teacher. It was easy to spot him as one of the oldest graduates when he earned his degree in Education from Rhode Island College. He soon discovered that school districts were not looking for a first-year teacher who was already at retirement age, but he easily settled into a steady and prolific career as a substitute teacher. He took assignments at schools in East Providence, Barrington, Warren, Bristol, Portsmouth, Tiverton and beyond, and it was not unusual to be out in public with him when someone — a fellow teacher or a former student – came up with a big smile to say hi to Mr. Pickering.

Mike and Ellie have two children, Scott Pickering (and his wife, Anna Johnson), of Barrington, R.I., and Michelle Galyardt (and her husband, Ben) of Windsor, Colo. He leaves nine grandchildren, Joshua, Matthew and Colin Pickering, Emma and Cooper Johnson, and Dylan, Rohan, River and Gavyn Galyardt. He also leaves his sister-in-law, Elizabeth A. (Primiano MacGovern) Ferranti, and many nieces and nephews, and many friends from his varied communities and social circles.

More than anything, the family remembers Mike for his constant smile, his lifelong gift for gab, his frequent storytelling, his diverse and rich one-liners, his pride in his children, and his deep love for his grandchildren. If able, there is nothing he would not do for any of them. He attended nearly all of their sporting events and was not shy about letting referees know his feelings about matters, regardless of his actual understanding of the intricacies of the sport being played.

He rode motorcycles, was a Grandpa with a Harley, drove convertibles, and would never miss an opportunity to cruise with the top down. He was a true character and the consummate “good guy,” who will remembered fondly by many, many people.

Services are under the direction of Smith Funeral & Memorial Services, 8 Schoolhouse Road, Warren, R.I. Calling hours will be held Tuesday, June 23, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home. A memorial service will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24, from Calvary United Methodist Church, 200 Turner Road, Middletown, R.I. Burial will follow at the R.I. Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 301 S. County Trail, Exeter, R.I.

In lieu of flowers, donations are welcomed to OSDRI, Attn: R.I. Veterans Treatment Court, PO Box 116, Narragansett, RI 02882.