Obituary of Graham "Rod" Pickard

Graham “Rod” Pickard, 74, of Peabody, MA, died suddenly following a prolonged illness, on Wednesday, August 15th, 2018. He is survived by his wife, Susan Marie Pickard (nee Gingras); his children, Heather Pickard, of Groveland, MA, and Kirk Pickard, of Coleman, FL; his sister, Wendy Moore (Pickard), of Mill Valley, CA; his grandchildren, Kyle Sangster, of Peabody, MA, Kevin Pickard, of Groveland, MA, Graham R. Mauer, of Chicago, IL, and Samantha Valente, of Peabody, MA; his brother-in-law, Robert Gingras, and Robert’s wife, Patricia Gingras, both of Coconut Creek, FL; his nieces Samantha Marmol, of Newburgh, NY, Katherine Pethel, of San Jose, CA, and Matia Gingras, of Coconut Creek, FL; and his best friend, Jeff Geer, and Jeff’s wife, Ann Mauer, both of Chicago, IL. Rod was for 37 years a physical education teacher and administrator for Marblehead Public Schools. He was a prominent fixture in high school athletics – particularly soccer – in Massachusetts, having been named Coach of the Year four times by The Boston Globe and three times by The Salem Evening News. Upon his retirement in 2005 the Town of Marblehead recognized him by proclaiming a day in his honor, as did the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Throughout his career, teaching and coaching children from kindergarten through 12th grade, he loved the challenge of helping them first to be happy and self-confident – and then teaching them how to climb a rope, kick a ball, train one’s body to be healthy, and ultimately to win championships in soccer and other sports. Born in Leeds, England, Rod moved with his family [father William Pickard; mother Millicent Pickard (nee Webster)] to Montreal when he was 13 years old – and then later to Montpelier, VT, where he attended high school. Like so many other brave young men of the Vietnam era, he served his country by enlisting in the US Navy and serving as a meteorologist for almost four years, before pursuing and receiving an undergraduate degree in physical education from the University of Vermont in Burlington, VT, in 1971. An aspiring school administrator, Rod graduated with a Master’s degree in School Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1993, concluding his career as an assistant principal at Marblehead High School and then Athletic Director for Marblehead Public Schools. Though “retired,” Rod worked tirelessly as Co-Director of the Swampscott Senior Center and continued to paint homes for several years. Though always in the public eye during his life, Rod remained, at heart, a private man who loved his “Susie,” his wife of 49 years, and his family, far more than any public recognition or honor he ever received. Please remember his devotion to his loved ones with your donation to either Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org) or Spectrum Adult Day Health, in Beverly, MA. Visitation will be Sunday, August 19th, 3-6pm, at Conway Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn Street, Peabody, MA 01960. A public service will be held at Monday, August 20th, 9:30am, at the same location. Internment will be private afterwards.