Darrin K. Bickel, 54, of Auburn, died Wednesday December 4, 2019 at his home. Darrin was born December 22, 1964 in Richmond, Indiana. Darrin had worked in sales at O’Daniel Automotive Group in Fort Wayne and was an avid golfer. He is survived by his wife Nicole Bickel; children, Jordan Bickel, Olivia Bickel, Simon Bickel, and Schyler Puckett; granddaughter, Ari Bickel; Parents,  Everett and Darlene Bickel; and a brother, Barry Bickel. Visitation will be held Sunday from 1-4 pm at Pinnington Funeral & Cremation Services 502 N. Main Street, Auburn. No funeral service will be held. Memorial donations may be made for his children’s college fund in care of Nicole Bickel.

Darrin's Life Stroy

All who knew Darrin Bickel would agree that he was a true character who didn’t shy away from doing life his way. He worked hard, and he played hard, too, often with his family and friends by his side. He had a contagious sense of humor, even if his children didn't always appreciate his "dad" jokes. A devoted father and grandfather, he was so proud of his children and granddaughter whom he adored.  If you were lucky enough to be loved by Darrin, you knew it. Darrin’s family always knew that they were uniquely and deeply loved. Life will never be the same without him here, but he leaves behind a priceless collection of memories that his family and friends will forever hold near and dear to their hearts.
It seems only fitting that Darrin’s journey began during a time that was as colorful as he was. It was the 1960s and civil rights were gaining momentum, and the entire nation gathered around televisions to witness the excitement of the first man to walk on the moon. Amidst this exciting time was a time of great excitement in the lives of Everett and Darlene Bickel as they were eagerly awaiting the birth of their new son as the year was drawing to a close in Richmond, Indiana, in 1964. Their wait was finally over when the baby boy they named Darrin Keith made his grand entrance, just a few days short of Christmas on December 22nd.
In many ways Darrin was a young boy of his generation. He enjoyed the time spent with Grandad and Mama Rose, he often reminisced about the Milky Way candy bars Mama Rose used to bring him every day after school. Darrin’s best friends were his brother Barry, and the twins Van and  Vaughn, and as the stories go the boys could regularly be found together having fun and raising hell.
Darrin was eager for all that life had in store. The birth of his daughter, Jordan, was one of the happiest days of his life. As he got older, he questioned whether he would ever settle down again, then one day he saw Nicole on the car lot, he laughingly told the story many times of how he pushed another salesman out of the way and sprinted across the lot to get to her first. He fell in love with Nicole at first site and told her on their third date that he was going to marry her someday, and he did and he was also blessed to become a father to the twins he ADORED, Livvie and Si, and a step father to Schyler. To support his family, he was in sales throughout his entire career including at O’Daniel Automotive Group in Fort Wayne. During his career, he was awarded the salesman of the month multiple times along with salesman of the year. A family man through and through, Darrin was always the one to make sure that everyone was having as much fun as he was in life. He especially loved trips to Tennessee to visit his family. He loved playing golf with his dad and spending time with his mom, especially playing cards, he also enjoyed visiting theme and waterparks with the family. As they grew older, Darrin’s children came to appreciate his “dad jokes,” and it was easy to see that he loved and cherished his family. There were so many things that Darrin appreciated throughout his life. He was a Dallas Cowboys fan through and through, even during the difficult seasons. Darrin once bet and lost $50 on this team. He was an avid golfer, and he could be found out on the links from early spring until the snow began to fly later in the year. Darrin and his wife enjoyed golfing together, and over the years he went to various courses all over including when he went on golfing trips with his buddies. He liked to sing, but his family would say that singing wasn’t really his gift, when Livvie was little she once asked him to "sing inside his head" instead of out loud. It made him chuckle even years later when he thought about it.  Darrin also tried to make his family listen to his kind of music, much to their dislike more often than not, but sometimes it stuck. When Schyler was in first grade Darrin introduced him to The Blue Oyster Cult song Godzilla and it remains a favorite to this day. Not only was his singing not all that great, but his driving could also be questionable even though he would argue that he was the best driver in the world.
With a life that spanned times of great change in the world around him, Darrin was a fun-loving guy who was the sort of person everyone seemed to know. He could be strong willed at times, but it was only when he was passionate about something. A loving husband and father, he was happiest when with his loved ones, and a friend of Darrin’s was a friend for life. Deeply loved, he will be forever missed.
 

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