December 27, 2024
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Kendall County friends and colleagues celebrate legacy of Ken and Jackie Pickerill

By Mark Foster
This display pays tribute to the lives of the late Ken and Jackie Pickerill. It is located inside their home, now a Kendall County Forest Preserve events center, which was dedicated on July 15, 2023.

This display pays tribute to the lives of the late Ken and Jackie Pickerill. It is located inside their home, now a Kendall County Forest Preserve events center, which was dedicated on July 15, 2023. (Mark Foster)

Friends and colleagues of Ken and Jackie Pickerill celebrated the couple’s legacy with the opening of the Pickerill Estate House events center on July 15.

Ken Pickerill was a hall of fame Oswego High School football, wrestling and baseball coach, while Jackie Pickerill was known as the proprietor of The Jacqueline Shop, a downtown Oswego clothing boutique.

“They were an incredible couple who didn’t stop at anything,” said John Sammons, a retired OHS wrestling coach who worked with Ken Pickerill.

Jackie Pickerill died in 2001 and Ken died in 2019, but their legacy continues with the transformation of their house into the centerpiece of the Pickerill-Pigott Forest Preserve.

The couple donated their house and surrounding land to the Kendall County Forest Preserve District, which purchased the adjoining Pigott property to create the 99-acre Pickerill-Pigott preserve.

Attending the grand opening event was Sue Svob Panozzo of Oswego, a 1968 OHS graduate who was a member of the cheerleading squad for the school’s sports teams.

Sue Svob Panozzo and Karl Hoinkes were on hand to celebrate the legacy of Ken and Jackie Pickerill during the opening of the Pickerill Estate House on July 15, 2023. Panozzo is a 1968 Oswego High School graduate and Hoinkes was a football coach at OHS.

Sue Svob Panozzo and Karl Hoinkes were on hand to celebrate the legacy of Ken and Jackie Pickerill during the opening of the Pickerill Estate House on July 15, 2023. Panozzo is a 1968 Oswego High School graduate and Hoinkes was a football coach at OHS. (Mark Foster)

Panozzo said he has fond memories of the Pickerills giving the cheerleaders rides to OHS away games.

Karl and Karla Hoinkes of Oswego are big fans of the Pickerills. Karl is a retired OHS football coach.

“Ken loved every minute of it,” Karl said. “He helped more kids than people realize.”

Karla Hoinkes created a display of photos, newspaper stories and other artifacts chronicling the Pickerills’ lives, which can be seen inside the renovated house.

Fred Beck, a nephew of Ken Pickerill, traveled with his wife Genie all the way from Kansas just to be part of the event.

“He was an incredible man,” Beck said of his uncle. “He got more joy out of helping others than anything else. He sought to get the best out of his students.”

Penelope Pigott Dann was honored during the dedicated for the Pickerill Estate House in the Pickerill-Pigott Forest Preserve on July 15, 2023. At left is Kendall County Forest Preserve District President Brian DeBolt and to the right is Forest Foundation of Kendall County President Jeff Wehrli.

Penelope Pigott Dann was honored during the dedicated for the Pickerill Estate House in the Pickerill-Pigott Forest Preserve on July 15, 2023. At left is Kendall County Forest Preserve District President Brian DeBolt and to the right is Forest Foundation of Kendall County President Jeff Wehrli. (Mark Foster)

Also making a long-distance trip for the event was Penelope Pigott Dann of Washington, D.C., daughter of the late John and Eleanor Pigott.

“I wanted to see the big effort and look at what the forest preserve has done,” Dann said.

Ken Pickerill began his teaching and coaching career at OHS in 1952 and served as athletic director and head football coach for 15 years, earning five football championships.

He also served as head wrestling coach for 11 years, with eight all-state wrestlers and three state championships. Pickerill also was baseball coach for nine years, with one regional and one district championship.

Pickerill was inducted into the Illinois High School wrestling, baseball and football coaches halls of fame.

Jackie and Ken opened the The Jaqueline Shop in 1971, operating the business together until 1996.

“People used to come from all over the state to visit Jackie’s shop,” Sammons said.