Gerard Picard

Obituary Gerard Picard 'Gerry', 91, passed away Monday, June 5, 2023, at the North Pinellas Hospice Care Center in Palm Harbor, FL Funeral Mass being held at St. Egberts Catholic Church on Monday, August 7, 2023 at 10:00 AM. Born 1931 in Fort Kent, Maine, Gerry was one of seventeen children to Regina LaFerriere and Joseph Picard. He attended grammar school, high school, and Community High School in Fort Kent. There he played baseball, basketball, and majored in office work. As one of seventeen children, Gerry did all he could to earn money, including the backbreaking work of hand-picking potatoes every September during the three week school break for harvest. Upon graduating high school in 1950, Gerry was employed with the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. as a clerk typist. In 1951 he was drafted into the Army and was assigned to the Eighth Army headquarters in Seoul, Korea as a stenotype operator. Upon completion of duty in Seoul, Korea he was assigned to Fort Devens, Massachusetts and continued to do office work. In 1954, he discharged and married Patricia White, his high school sweetheart. After working for a local A&P store, Gerry decided this is not what he wanted to do for a career, so he enrolled at Husson College in Bangor, Maine and majored in Business Education. He graduated in 1959 and signed a contract to teach in Guilford, CT where he taught for 30 years before his retirement in 1989. Gerry and Patty spent 30 happy years in Madison CT, raising their two children Dennis and Kelley and fostering a lifelong group of friends. In 1989, Gerry and Patty retired to Morehead City, NC along with two couples with whom they were close friends in Madison. It wasnt long before Gerry began to volunteer almost full time at Habitat for Humanity, building homes in Havelock, Morehead City, and Beaufort, NC. He also volunteered at the Habitat Restore, helping with carpentry projects as needed. Gerry was also an active member of St Egberts Catholic Church as an Usher and a member of the Knights of Columbus. One of Gerrys favorite activities was his annual trip to Maine for "Uncles Weekend". This almost-50-year tradition included time he savored with his brothers and nephews, until it was crashed by the nieces in 2019, at which time it became an all-inclusive family tradition. One of Gerrys highlights of this annual trip was in 2016 when he won the coveted First Place prize in the family Olympics. After Pattys passing in 2004, Gerry remained in NC until 2014 when he decided to move to Safety Harbor, Florida to be closer to his daughter and her family. He was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2017 at which time he entered a Memory Care facility in Safety Harbor. He was later diagnosed with Leukemia in early 2022. Gerry is preceded in death by his wife Patricia who has been at peace with God since August 1, 2004, and his son Dennis, who passed on December 9, 2020 at his wifes side in Augusta, GA. Gerry is survived by his daughter Kelley and her husband Neil; his grandchildren Travis (Kristina), Shaun (Randi), Erin, and Kyle; his great-granddaughter Aspen; his brothers Jimmy, Reynold (Annamae), and Bobby; over 50 nieces and nephews; and countless friends from CT, NC, and FL. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the Crystal Coast Habitat for Humanity, in Newport, NC or the Alzheimers Association. Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noebrooks.net Arrangements by Noe-Brooks Funeral Home, Morehead City, NC. Services Funeral Mass Monday August 7, 2023 10:00 AM St Egbert Catholic Church