Remedios B. Pickett

Remedios (Dee) Baldassarre Pickett born in Manila, Philippines on November 12, 1936.  She died on July 15, 2023 at the age of 86 in Alameda, California.

Dee and her family were in Manila on January 2, 1942, when the Japanese Army occupied the city.  They were also in Manila on February 3, 1945, during the infamous "Battle of Manila."  It was during this horrific battle that she lost her biological father, Salvador Lozano.  After the war, her mother married James Baldassarre.  She and her younger brother, Sebastian, were adopted by her mother's new husband.

Dee attended St. Paul College in Quezon City, where she graduated from elementary school, high school, and college.  After her college graduation, she went to work for C.F. Sharp, one of the largest shipping and travel firms in the Philippines.  While an employee of C.F. Sharp, she met and married Robert (Bobby) Orbeta, with whom she had her first child, Robert John Orbeta (Bob). Bobby passed away soon after the birth of their son.  

In the late 1950s-early 1960s, Dee traveled to Europe in the early days of trans-continental flights on a jet plane which took her from Manila to various Scandinavian countries.  It was probably this trip which nurtured her taste for travel, as she continued traveling to other countries in Asia.  

In the subsequent years, she married her second husband, Ramon Pickett and had her second child, Anne Margaret Pickett.  In 1966, they migrated to the United States, joining her mother, father, and siblings who had preceded them in coming to California.  Dee and her family settled in Alameda, California where her second husband, Ramon, later died.  

Dee went to work for Alameda County.  She had the arduous, and at times, dangerous position of "Caseworker" for welfare recipients.  Her duties included going to the homes of welfare recipients to make sure they were following the rules and were in fact eligible to receive welfare assistance.  She later went to work for San Francisco County.  This time she had a safer and less stressful job, working at San Francisco General Hospital as a Finance Director.  She continued at San Francisco General Hospital until she retired in 1997. 

Dee met Matt Gabel, who became her long-time partner, at church.  They enjoyed traveling with groups of other retirees, dancing at the Elks Club, and going out to dinner.  She was a devout congregant of Alameda's St. Joseph's Basilica where she was considered a Pillar of the Basilica.  She belonged to the church's Young Ladies Institute (YLI) and supported many causes; however, Dee's greatest passion was her two granddaughters: Mary and Katherine Orbeta.

Dee was preceded in death by her first husband Bobby Orbeta, her second husband Ramon Pickett, and her long time partner Matt Gabel.  She was also preceded in death by her biological father Salvador Lozano, her mother Pilar Martinez Baldassarre, her dad James Baldassarre, and her brother Sebastian Baldassarre.

Dee is survived by her children Bob Orbeta (Barbara), and Anne Pickett, granddaughters Mary Orbeta and Katie Orbeta, and great grandson Aceson Orbeta.  She is also survived by her brother Fred Baldassarre, sister Sue Baldassarre,  sister-in-law Caroline Baldassarre, nieces Ginna Baldassarre and Carla VanDerveer (Brian), and Cindy Gabel.

Family and friends are invited to attend the funeral mass of Remedios on Saturday, July 22nd at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Basilica.

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