Russell Anthony Pickett

Russell Anthony Pickett, a Santa Rosa businessman and former Sonoma County Fair board president, died Sunday at his home. He was 82.

Pickett owned SonoMusic Co., which installed jukeboxes, pool tables and other coin-operated machines in bars. He was a fair board director from 1976 to about 1981 and was president in 1980.

Pickett's wife of 34 years, Judy Pickett, said her husband became involved in the fair over his love of horses. Over the years, he was part owner of several race horses, she said.

"He really enjoyed being there and being with his friends," his wife said. "He was a very good organizer."

His business and fair lives were touched by occasional controversy. While he was board president, he was investigated on charges of leasing illegal gambling equipment to local taverns, but the case was eventually dropped.

Pickett also was caught up in the "Williegate" scandal of 1981. He and other fair directors bought hundreds of reserve tickets to a Willie Nelson concert in a special "pre-sale," denying the tickets to the general public. Pickett scooped up 360 tickets and President Adolph Bertoli had 404. Nelson cancelled over the incident, which led to calls for the men to resign.

Pickett was born in Houston, Texas, in 1927 and moved with his family to Sonoma County at a young age. His parents, Thomas Anthony and Clara Pickett, owned a downtown musical instrument store called Santa Rosa Music.

Pickett went to Santa Rosa High School and enlisted in the Navy near the end of World War II in 1945. He was stationed in San Diego and Hawaii, where he was assigned to a PT boat crew, his wife said.

After the war, he returned to Sonoma County, married his first wife, Julia, and had three daughters.

For a time, he drove a beer truck on a route that included Guerneville and later opened the jukebox business, which continued into the late 1970s.

He remarried in 1976.

In his retirement, he traveled and was a member of the Shriners. He loved fishing and his dog, Mini.

About four years ago, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He also had colon cancer and learned earlier this year it had spread, his wife said.

In addition to his wife, Pickett is survived by his daughters, Salee Pickett and Linda Pickett Davis of Windsor and Julieanne Pickett of Santa Rosa; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Burial with military honors will be at 2 p.m. Aug. 7 at Santa Rosa Memorial Park. Memorial donations may be made to Memorial Hospice, 821 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 95401.