AMSTERDAM - Following the death of Amsterdam High School teacher Liam Pickett, his life is being remembered by those he influenced.
A teacher and theater lover, Pickett touched the hearts of many within the Capital Region’s education and performance circles. Most recently, the Niskayuna native taught chemistry at Amsterdam High School. He also spent six years teaching chemistry and environmental science at The Doane Stuart School, where he pioneered a theater camp that eventually grew into Footloose Theatre in Albany.
Pickett died suddenly of a burst aortic artery on Nov. 28, he was 31 years old. Pickett suffered a medical emergency after teaching his last period class last Tuesday. District staff and emergency medical crews rushed to help. He died at St. Mary’s Healthcare.
According to his obituary, a memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at St. John the Evangelist Church at 806 Union St. in Schenectady. Relatives and friends are invited and may also visit with Liam’s family on Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Reilly & Son Funeral Home at 1200 Central Ave. in Colonie.
Pickett was a 2011 graduate of Colonie Central High School and is survived by parents Maura and Jim Pickett, as well as his two younger siblings, Abigail and Jacob.
Pickett was closely involved with the Home Made Theater in Saratoga Springs throughout much of his life. The theater posted a tribute to him on its Facebook page, quoting a post of him fondly remembering his childhood days of going to holiday shows with his family and fostering a love of the art.
“Liam and [his dad] Jim Pickett were among the first people I met when I started at HMT,” said Eric Rudy, executive and artistic director at Home Made. “He was just the sweetest man. He always had a smile for everyone and a kind word for everyone. All of the many lives he touched, everyone will miss him terribly. It’s such a tragic loss.”
In Albany, Pickett was also active with Harbinger Theatre, taking acting classes with Patrick White and performing or stage managing shows at The Albany Barn.
“The last time I saw him — I just saw him, a few weeks ago — he was apologizing for not being more involved in my company,” White said. “I was like, ‘What are you talking about? How could you be more active?’ He was always involved. He was always out and about.”
The technical methodology used in a chemistry classroom and the theatrics practiced on stage may appear as polar opposites in the eyes of many. For Liam Pickett, though, blending the two crafts was a part of everyday life.
“One of the challenges of being an educator is people try to pigeonhole you, but people do not work that way,” said Marcy Cathey, head of school at Doane Stuart. “He had a passion not only for teaching, but for helping students express themselves.”
His pedagogy included the influences of drama and creativity. Stepping into Mr. Pickett’s classroom could be a new and exciting experiment on any day, the only given being his enthusiasm and dedication.
“He was very much a teacher for the students. . . . He wasn't just a teacher, he was a mentor to a lot of different students, which made for something really special, even in the classroom,” said Kaylee Renaud, a 2023 Doane Stuart graduate and former student of Pickett.
Renaud is now a freshman at New York University studying film, a path she may not have taken without Pickett’s influence in the Doane Stuart theater program.
“He trusted us to get things done and really taught us and gave us the tools to do it,” Renaud said. “I even got to direct one of the shows. It was really exciting that he trusted us, that really helped a lot of the students.”
On his LinkedIn profile, Pickett summed up his mission statement as an educator as follows: “To provide students with the resources and guidance that they need to explore every aspect of the world. I will strive to inspire each student to gain a desire to further explore the world.”
His students didn't have to step far to get the chance to explore a whole new world. In his classroom, they could be anything, from magicians to FBI agents. His lessons featured fantastical perspectives, such as a murder-mystery theme where students worked to gather and interpret evidence to solve the “crime.”
Or students might be greeted by their teacher in full wizard garb for a little extra magic in the day's work, as one student recalled in a WNYT segment where he was honored as a “Teacher of the Year” in 2019.
Pickett is remembered for injecting a bit of that whimsy into everyday life. Rudy recalled being a part of a theater production with Pickett and, during some spontaneous backstage dancing, catching Pickett capturing the moment on his phone. Renaud remembers him matching the childlike creativity and excitement of the students, while remaining their go-to voice of reason.
“One time, we had to do a bunch of stunt work — it was a scene where two characters were supposed to be fighting, everyone was really nervous,” Renaud said. “He didn't want it to look fake but also didn't want anyone to get hurt, so we just spent a ton of time on this one scene. . . . He was so careful, as the responsible adult, but was equally as excited as us.”
This school year was just his second at Amsterdam, but he already made a profound impression on many of the students who visited his classroom.
“We put a piece of paper [for students to sign], maybe 4-by-6 feet, outside of his classroom, and halfway through the day we needed to put up another,” said Greater Amsterdam School District Superintendent Richard Ruberti. “Students just had so many nice things to say and messages to write to Mr. Pickett.”
Ruberti went on to describe Pickett as a “dynamic” teacher, noting that he introduced students to some of the community theaters in the area.
Teachers who worked alongside Pickett noticed his unique ability to spark excitement in students.
“He was just a really kind soul and the students really picked up on that,” said Dr. David Wells, upper school dean and biology teacher at Doane Stuart. “He made the teaching of chemistry as fun and engaging as possible.”
Nothing is planned yet, but the school is exploring options for different ways to honor Pickett.
“And it’s all student-driven,” said Anne Marie Giles, principal of Amsterdam High School. “They’re the ones saying, ‘Hey, we want to do this.’ They’re the ones coming up with ideas.”
The loss of such a beloved figure will not go unfelt, but the joy his life brought to the community will most certainly be remembered.
“He was very passionate. He loved sharing knowledge. He was engaging and relevant," Giles said. “He brought it to life for them.”