Dianna "Dee" Joan Green Pickelman, age 75, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 30, 2022. Dee was born on December 27, 1945, in Long Beach, CA to Barbara Joan (Griffin) and Harry Grinius Green. Dee is preceded in death by her parents and survived by her three siblings, two sons, four grandchildren and a countless extended "family" of former students, friends, and co-workers.

Dee was the oldest of four children, including her brother, Gregory Grinius Green (Howell, MI), and sisters Judith Ann ("Jan") Green Oei (Battleground, OR) and Barbara Louise Green Kerns (Irvine, CA). Until the age of 12, Dee lived in cities along the West Coast including Whittier, CA, Seattle and Tacoma, WA. As a seventh grader, Dee lived in Sumatra, Indonesia, until spending her ninth-grade year living with her aunt and uncle in Saginaw, MI. Dee would return to East Asia, eventually graduating from Singapore American High School.

A graduate of Central Michigan University, Dee married John E. Pickelman in 1967 in Saginaw, MI, and had two sons: Dr. Jason Todd Pickelman, a urologist living in Texarkana with his wife Amy Scudder Pickelman with whom he has two children, twins Grace and Ryan; and Matthew Ryan Pickelman, a lawyer living in Dallas with his wife, Tracy Case Pickelman and their two children, Case and Elle.

After teaching two years of French and English in Kansas City, Dee obtained a master's degree in Reading and Literacy from Texas State. Dee taught seventh grade Reading and English for nearly 40 years at Saegert and Barnes Middle Schools in Seguin, TX. Dee often taught French phrases to her students and enjoyed having them act out plays from Read Magazine . Her teaching style was both strict and gentle and life lessons she taught extended well beyond the classroom. Dee also often had parts in school plays, including that of Ms. Hannigan in Annie . Dee was also a student counsel sponsor for more than 15 years which means she sponsored 60 school dances. As a UIL spelling sponsor, Dee even had one student compete in the San Antonio Express spelling bee. Dee was on discipline committees and served as a campus representative for the Superintendent's Forum.

Dee's zeal for her profession and students was exceeded only by life-long, unmatched dedication to her two sons she raised as a single mother beginning while both were effectively in diapers. Dee was nearly as compassionate for her beloved Seguin Matadors and San Antonio Spurs. Dee had a huge heart and never met a stranger; her endless caring, providing for and befriending those in need was not her choice, but a natural extension of her being. Dee routinely provided school supplies and clothing to students in need while often providing them with rides to school – including joining her for breakfast tacos if on a Tuesday and Thursday, as was her routine for decades.

Dee had a strong faith. Before becoming a member of Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church, Dee and her boys were members of Faith Lutheran Church for more than 35 years where she was a Vacation Bible School Director, served on the Budget and Property Management committees, and was a frequent lay scripture reader (sometimes with her boys).

Dee enjoyed swimming, playing tennis, and reading. She served on the Boards of Directors for the Seguin Education Association, the Seguin High School Sports Booster Club, the Christian Counseling Center, and Retired Teachers. Dee's favorable Bible version was " Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord ."

A funeral service will be held Sunday, October 16, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at Tres Hewell Mortuary, with Rev. Jeremy Roy officiating, followed by a Celebration of Life at 3:30.  As was her wish, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Guadalupe County Children's Advocacy Center. ( https://gccac.net/events/champions-for-courageous-children/ ).