Remembering D’Vonne Pickett Jr: One Year Later
One year ago today, we lost a giant. D’Vonne Pickett Jr was a Central District icon, a Seattle native who built up his family and community just as much as he did himself while always staying true to his roots. A devoted husband and business owner, Pickett coached for the CD Panthers Football and Cheer Program and ran his shop The Postman with his wife Keanna.
In April of 2021, Converge Media and Vanishing Seattle released a short film about The Postman, a shipping and small business services company in the Central District. In the video, Keanna and D'Vonne share their story as young entrepreneurs who have opened a business in the Central District and the struggles of trying to uphold family legacies and honor neighborhood history while keeping up with Seattle's rapidly changing demographics.
Following D’Vonne’s tragic death, a section of E Union Street was renamed D’Vonne Pickett Jr. Way. In an emotional ceremony, family members and friends of Pickett as well as city officials spoke about the impact he had and what it means to celebrate his life and legacy in this way.
“I don’t know if it’s really understood how big it is to be a child of your city,” Keanna Pickett said. “To live your life through purpose to give back. We have three children and every morning I see D’Vonne in their face.”
