83R11868 MGR-D
By: Kacal H.R. No. 938
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The city of Bryan lost a heroic public servant when
Lieutenant Gregory Wade Pickard died in the line of duty on February
16, 2013, while attempting to save the life of a fellow firefighter;
and
WHEREAS, Born in Oklahoma on February 4, 1959, to Robert and
Carla Pickard, Greg Pickard later moved with his family to Italy,
Texas; it was there that he met the love of his life, Susie, and the
couple were married in 1980; shortly thereafter, they moved to
College Station to attend Texas A&M University; and
WHEREAS, That same year, Mr. Pickard joined the Bryan Fire
Department; an original member of the department's rescue team, he
also belonged to Texas Task Force 1 and served as manager of the
urban search and rescue team; he was rescue division commander at
the time of the 1999 Texas A&M bonfire collapse and helped to lead
the department's response through that difficult tragedy;
respected and admired by his fellow firefighters, he went on to
serve as battalion chief for six years; and
WHEREAS, Lieutenant Pickard was certified as an advanced
firefighter and as an emergency medical technician, and over the
course of his 32-year tenure as a firefighter, he established a
number of important departmental protocols; he also served as a
mentor to many and had the pleasure of seeing his son become a
firefighter in College Station; and
WHEREAS, A man of faith, Lieutenant Pickard belonged to
Calvary Baptist Church for a quarter of a century; he liked to spend
his summers traveling with his loved ones, and he was also an avid
golfer; and
WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, this devoted family man
enjoyed the love and support of his wife, Susan, with whom he shared
32 years, and he took great pride in their children, Jacob and
Robin, and their grandchildren, Caroline, Wade, and Catherine; and
WHEREAS, Although Greg Pickard will be deeply missed, the
courage, passion, and selflessness with which he lived his life
will forever inspire all who had the good fortune to know him; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Lieutenant Greg
Pickard and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to
his wife, Susan Pickard; to his son, Jacob Pickard; to his daughter,
Robin Carpenter, and her husband, Michael; to his grandchildren,
Caroline, Wade, and Catherine; to his parents, Robert and Carla
Pickard; to his brother, Barry Pickard, and his wife, Kristy; to his
sisters, Natalie Beck and her husband, Gerald, and Sharla Cleaver
and her husband, Alan; and to his other relatives and many friends;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Lieutenant
Greg Pickard.