This page is dedicated to, and in Loving Memory of Scott Bickel. Scott passed away on October 28th, from fatal injuries he received in an auto accident on October 27th, 1997. Scott was returning home to Huntsville, Texas from a weekend trip to Springfield, Il when approximately 45 minutes from home his vehicle left the road, flipped several times and ejected him. Scott was initially taken by ambulance to East Texas Medical Center in Crockett, but then due to the severity of his injuries he was life flighted to East Texas Medical Center in Tyler, Texas. The entire staff of the ICU unit at ETMC did everything they could for Scott, but his injuries were too severe, and he passed away the next morning. I Thank God that Scott was not awake when he crashed, and that he went peacefully. Scott has journeyed to a better place, free from any pain. Scott is missed very much by his family and everyone who's life he touched while he was with us. I personally believe he is watching over us right now, and will save us a place in Heaven. Scott..... We Love You!

Let me take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Pat Bickel, and I am Scott's oldest brother, and the oldest of my three siblings. Scott has a twin Sister, Sandra, and another Brother, Greg. Our Parents' names are Ivan and Jacque. We are the Bickel Family.

I have not just one reason, but several reasons for putting up this website. First and foremost I wanted a way to honor my brother that everyone could see, and in a way that would last indefinitely. I also needed a way to vent, and do something positive...a way to channel some of my anger into positive energy and mourn our loss in a positive way. I wrote this website originally just a month or so after Scott died, but have revised it several times since, trying to improve it a little each time.

Scott was a friend to all, a fine Son, Brother, Uncle, Grandson, Cousin, and Nephew. Scott rarely had a negative thing to say about anybody or anything. That is a rare quality. In the short 23 years Scott was with us he touched many lives, and knowing he is no longer here is very painful for all of us. I can say from personal experience that you never really get over losing someone close to you, but with the passing of time we learn to live with it and accept it. One of my fears is that Scott will just become a faded memory like so many others we have. Well I am determined to not let that happen. That is another reason behind this tribute.

Scott was born, along with his twin sister, on New Years Eve, 1973 at Frankfurt Army Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany. I remember that night to this day. Greg and I were left at a friends house till Dad picked us up after Scott and Sandra were born, and after he had returned home from the hospital. We all went through the motions of trying to go to sleep, but as it turned out it was a wasted effort. Well...New Years Eve and all.... it didn't happen. So sometime just before daybreak Dad got Greg and I out of bed, and we set off fireworks right in the stairwell of the government housing where we lived. Scott and Sandra came into this world with a bang, and even though I was too young to appreciate it at the time, they turned out to be the finest brother and sister a guy could have.... then again so is my other brother Greg. I don't know about Greg, but I remember going back to school in Giessen, Germany after the Holidays, and how Proud I was to tell everybody about my little Brother and Sister.

I can also remember that going anywhere was not ordinary, but more of a production. They had a huge stroller with them setting side by side, and everywhere we went folks commented at how good looking they were. Maybe I am partial, but I always thought the same...and I wasn't alone. Being the oldest, there were times when having a little brother and sister was a pain....like when it was time for diaper changes. But other than that I know Greg and I were proud of them then, and that hasn't changed over the years. We moved from Germany to Ft.Hood Texas in 1976, when Scott and Sandra were 2 1/2 years old. We then moved off post to Copperas Cove, Texas and that is where Scott and Sandra grew up. You may have noticed I use the names Scott and Sandra together quite a bit. I don't do it just to "group" them together. The fact of the matter is they were ALWAYS together...and it was that way for 23 years. It is awfully hard to imagine them not being together..... Really though, they still are.

Scott was a good kid growing up...and man did we pick on him and Sandra. See Greg and I are only a little over a year apart in age, and Scott and Sandra twins....well we had our teams set-up from the git-go. I think every person that has a younger brother or sister can tell you about times when they can really be a pain. Especially when they ran and told on you as soon as you messed up. But, I wouldn't ever have traded places with anyone. There were a lot of times that Greg and I deserved getting into trouble too. I think back to when we were all kids, all four of us...and have to laugh. I think that after everything we went through as kids, we did pretty good. Scott and Sandra learned patience and perseverance the hard way. With two older brothers like Greg and I, they didn't have much choice but to be tough. I like to refer to Greg and I as the experimental kids out of the four. On one hand you could say that we made their lives easier by being the ones to mess up the most....but on the other hand, it might have made things a little harder for them since Mom and Dad knew of more things to expect out of kids. One thing I can say though, is that although we picked on each other hard, and at times to extreme.....there was never, nor is there now, any doubt about how we feel about one another. Growing up the way we did, we learned to depend on each other more than others outside our family. One other thing stands out in my mind, and that is that we tolerated being picked on by each other, but didn't tolerate anyone outside our family doing anything to any one of us. To this day it is that way.

Scott was a Cub Scout, then Boy Scout, then went on to have a blast as a Police Explorer. At that time my Dad was a Police Officer with the Copperas Cove PD, and Scott loved being around all that. I think at one time when Scott was younger he envisioned himself being a cop like Dad, but with the years came other ideas.
I can also remember When Scott started to drive. He found this beat up Toyota that he "HAD" to have. I also remember helping convince Mom and Dad is wasn't too bad a car, and that whatever was wrong with it, I would fix, with Scott helping. Well we fixed it up, complete with a couple racing stripes painted with silver primer. The car turned out to be alright, and Scott learned from it. I laugh when I remember one day Scott drove up to my place, and said "It makes a grinding sound when I try to stop!"..... Hehehe... Well it should have been, the brakes were gone. Scott and I worked in the rain all afternoon the next day and got the brakes done all the way around. Scott was also involved in Band, and was a photographer for his High School newspaper and yearbook. He was an exceptional photographer, and took some excellent pictures. (I will share one in particular, along with some other family photographs on the next page.) Scott also loved his computers. He had a way with them, and he was always learning more about them. He sought advice from others, but he mainly taught himself through trial and error. I corresponded with Scott frequently through email, and we had mutual acquaintances online as well. I remember the first "homepage" Scott built, and all the emails that went back and forth between us while he was setting it up. I also remember not being able to physically see him much due to our working hour conflicts and the distance between where we lived. I regret that to this day...and I have but one piece of advice to offer people on this subject. VISIT YOUR FAMILY!!! It's too easy to get caught up in life's day to day routine's, but with a little effort you can MAKE the time to visit family at least every once in a while. You never know when that last time you will see a family member will be........

After graduation from Copperas Cove High School in 1992, Scott moved to Huntsville along with Mom, Dad and Sandra. By then Greg had been living in Maine for several years, and I was living in Copperas Cove. It was in Huntsville that Scott really grew and developed. Scott went on to become a Correctional Officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and Sandra was a student at Sam Houston State. For the last year or so Scott and Sandra shared an apartment together in town.....how many brothers and sisters want to, or have the opportunity to live together? They really got to know each other in the last year or so, and still were always together. In the fall semester at Sam Houston, Scott had enrolled in a Computer course, and he was very interested in the class. So much so in fact, that when Scott had his accident he was on his way home so he wouldn't miss his late morning class. You know, this just makes me believe even more, that we never know when our time is up on this Earth...so we should live life to the fullest.....and be the best people we can be.

I could go on and on about Scott's life, what he did, how he thought, and what he meant to us....but I don't think I have to go on any further. By now I believe it has been made pretty clear what a great guy Scott was.... ... and I think you now have a sense of who is was and how he remains in our hearts.

There has been a Memorial Scholarship Fund set up in Scott's honor at Sam Houston State University. It will provide an annual scholarship to an individual wishing to attend Sam Houston State. The only prerequisite is that the person applying for the Scholarship "Must" be currently employed as a Correctional Officer with TDCJ. The amount of the Scholarship to be awarded annually will be $500 initially, and will grow as the fund balance grows. I would like to take this opportunity to ask for contributions. ANY amount will be greatly appreciated, and will most assuredly go to a noble cause. Anyone wishing to contribute to The Scott Bickel Memorial Scholarship Fund, please send me an email, and I will get the information to you on how to do so, Or you can contact Gary Bouse, the Executive Director of University Advancement, at P.O. Box 2537, Huntsville, Texas 77341-2537, or by phone at (936) 294-3625 in reference to the Scott Bickel Memorial Scholarship. If you are a Correctional Officer working at any of the Huntsville area units, to include Polunsky, you are invited to apply for the scholarship. This is all about the CO and his or her efforts to further their education, which is exactly what Scott was doing, right up to the day he died. Scott lives on through this scholarship, and this is just our way of remembering him by helping another Correctional Officer better themselves through education.

One other thing I would like to mention is organ donation. Right now there are at least three people that are alive today, and over 50 people who have benefited from Scott's unselfish act of deciding to be an organ and tissue donor. The recipients that our family has met so far a re Bill (Scott's heart recipient), Keith (A kidney recipient), and Hazel (A kidney recipient). Bill Farmer and his wife Sarah are the ones we have gotten to know the most, and let me tell you they are a couple of movers and shakers, very dedicated to promoting organ donor awareness throughout Southeast Texas. And, they are wonderful people that we have been brought into our lives through Scott's unselfish act of kindness. Knowing that parts of Scott still live today is a wonderful feeling. These people are all great folks, and I am glad to know them. If you have never considered organ donation, please take a moment and think about it. You can't take your organs with you, and by donating them, you are giving the gift of life to another. It is a very unselfish act, and an act of Love from one person and their family to another. If you are against being an organ donor yourself, maybe you would consider contributing to one of a couple quality organizations. Both are non-profit organizations, and would greatly benefit from your generosity. If you would like more information, please feel free to contact either of these fine organizations. They welcome your inquiries. Just click on either of the two, or both of the links provided here. The first is the Southwest Transplant Alliance, and the second is Life Gift Organ Donation Center.

Please continue on to Page Two, and browse through a few family pictures we have for you to see. Depending on your connection speed, it may take a minute or two. or more to load all the images. So, please be patient.