Born in Sweetsburg, Quebec (now part of Cowansville), Dr Pickel was the son of Horace Darius Pickel, High Constable of the District of Bedford and Ruhamah Benham.

After his early education in Sweetsburg, he went to the University of Bishop's College where he graduated in 1888. He returned to Sweetsburg to begin his practice as a physician. Then, from 1897 to 1900, he went back to the university to study law. But in 1901, aged 35 years, he came back to his first vocation, medicine and he continued as a physician in Sweetsburg until his death in 1949.

In 1910, he was the leader of a group of persons who established the first hospital in Sweetsburg, the District of Bedford General Hospital. He must be acknowledged as the founder of the hospital which opened his doors in March 1912. He was the President of the Board of Governors of the Hospital from 1912 to 1922.

Dr Pickel was also very involved in the community. He was mayor of Sweetsburg for more than 40 years, chairman of the School Board for many years and a federal Member of Parliament for Brome-Missisquoi riding from 1930 to 1935.

He lived in a large Victorian mansion built by his father in 1883, known as the Pickel residence, and located next to the hospital. He sold this house to the hospital in 1947 and it became the "Staff House" or the "Nurses' Residence". This building was demolished in 1974.

On December 12, 1888, he had married Sarah Elizabeth Boright, daughter of Gilbert Boright and Sarah Elizabeth Soule. They had 3 sons, Gordon, Horace and Eric who was killed in England during WWI as a result of a troop-training accident.

Dr Pickel died in Sweetsburg on December 21, 1949 at the age of 83 years.