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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The city of Bryan lost a heroic public servant when |
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Lieutenant Gregory Wade Pickard died in the line of duty on February |
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16, 2013, while attempting to save the life of a fellow firefighter; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Oklahoma on February 4, 1959, to Robert and |
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Carla Pickard, Greg Pickard later moved with his family to Italy, |
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Texas; it was there that he met the love of his life, Susie, and the |
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couple were married in 1980; shortly thereafter, they moved to |
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College Station to attend Texas A&M University; and |
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WHEREAS, That same year, Mr. Pickard joined the Bryan Fire |
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Department; an original member of the department's rescue team, he |
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also belonged to Texas Task Force 1 and served as manager of the |
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urban search and rescue team; he was rescue division commander at |
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the time of the 1999 Texas A&M bonfire collapse and helped to lead |
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the department's response through that difficult tragedy; |
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respected and admired by his fellow firefighters, he went on to |
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serve as battalion chief for six years; and |
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WHEREAS, Lieutenant Pickard was certified as an advanced |
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firefighter and as an emergency medical technician, and over the |
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course of his 32-year tenure as a firefighter, he established a |
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number of important departmental protocols; he also served as a |
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mentor to many and had the pleasure of seeing his son become a |
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firefighter in College Station; and |
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WHEREAS, A man of faith, Lieutenant Pickard belonged to |
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Calvary Baptist Church for a quarter of a century; he liked to spend |
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his summers traveling with his loved ones, and he was also an avid |
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golfer; and |
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WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, this devoted family man |
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enjoyed the love and support of his wife, Susan, with whom he shared |
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32 years, and he took great pride in their children, Jacob and |
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Robin, and their grandchildren, Caroline, Wade, and Catherine; and |
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WHEREAS, Although Greg Pickard will be deeply missed, the |
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courage, passion, and selflessness with which he lived his life |
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will forever inspire all who had the good fortune to know him; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Lieutenant Greg |
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Pickard and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to |
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his wife, Susan Pickard; to his son, Jacob Pickard; to his daughter, |
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Robin Carpenter, and her husband, Michael; to his grandchildren, |
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Caroline, Wade, and Catherine; to his parents, Robert and Carla |
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Pickard; to his brother, Barry Pickard, and his wife, Kristy; to his |
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sisters, Natalie Beck and her husband, Gerald, and Sharla Cleaver |
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and her husband, Alan; and to his other relatives and many friends; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Lieutenant |
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Greg Pickard. |