Christina D. Pickard

Christina D. “Chrissy” Pickard passed peacefully in her home in Maynard, MA on March 3, 2020. 

Survived by her cousins, Joan Harron of London, Ontario, Canada & Laraine Sherriff of Gardnerville, Nevada.  She will be missed by her housemates & staff at Minute Man Arc.  

A virtual memorial service is below.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to your preferred charity. 

Christina was interred in Puritan Lawn Cemetery.

CHRISTINA D. PICKARD EULOGY

FROM THE FAMILY

We miss Chrissy every day.  We miss her cute smile, her hugs & her excitement during our visits.  She found joy in just being with us. We were just beginning to discover her personality & were looking forward to spending more time with her.

Chrissy was kind & affectionate.  She always gave us big hugs & was so happy just to be with family.   She especially loved to hold Al’s or Jennifer’s hand, Al’s niece.

Christina’s early life was difficult.  She was born in 1945 & had complications at birth that resulted in weak muscles on her right side, hearing loss & paralyzed vocal cords.  From the time I was young, I remember she lived at Fernald State School in Waltham, until they closed & transitioned everyone to group homes.   Some were good.  Some were not so good.  The last few years of her life living at Minute Man Arc, I think were her happiest.

At Minute Man Arc, Chrissy was surrounded by wonderful staff at the day center & her house. She was the “little mother” at the house, picking out the proper groceries & making sure the house ran as she thought it should!  We saw how everyone truly loved her.  All the staff & housemates knew Christina’s habits, likes & dislikes.

We were so happy that John Martino, her lifelong friend, moved into the house in Maynard with her.  She doted on him like a married couple.  She was always looking after him. Once we were surprised to find out that she had given away her Christmas present of a duvet we had given her, to John just because she thought he needed it.  LOL!!!  She was so generous & they were inseparable.

To say Chrissy loved to shop would be an understatement!!!  She loved to “window” shop even if we didn’t buy anything.  I remember once in a mall, a security guard starting singing the lyrics to a song in Spanish playing over the loudspeaker.  We started to laugh & Chrissy started to dance with him!! 

My husband recalled when he & Chrissy were sitting on a bench in a mall while I was in a shoe store.  Chrissy took Al’s hand & walked him over to this life-sized teddy bear in a window & pointed to herself.  He shook his head & said “no” & signed that it was a lot of money.  She just shook her head & accepted that.   She was always so easy going.

Christina loved her community activities.  Picnics, fairs, movies, getting her hair done, church, Friday night coffee (she loved coffee!!) & especially bowling. During our skype sessions, she would hold up her good arm with a clenched fist like the winner & congratulate herself!  She was the star of her life!!

We miss watching the pure delight on Chrissy’s face while she ate chocolate ice cream in the hotel in bed.  She would eat a spoonful, put the spoon down & make the OK sign with her hand to let you know you had nailed her favorite dessert!  All this while watching the “Halloween Cake Wars” on TV & laughing at funny designs.  

We were always so surprised at how warm people were to Christina when we went shopping, to Bruins games, on the duck boats or just seeing the sights.   They would laugh with her & just smile if she was having fun.  She was accepted by everyone because she accepted everyone.

I will never forget the most amazing day we had in October, 2019.  We were staying in a hotel in Danvers because it was close to shopping & Jennifer wanted to see Salem.  We took the train from Beverly to Boston to see a Bruins game. While at the game, one of the ushers saw how difficult it was for Chrissy to climb the steep stairs to our seats.  She asked if we would like to sit in the handicapped seats.  They were a bit lower on a flat, concrete platform with easy access to the restrooms.   We had a great view of the game & met an older fellow there who showed us his 2011 Stanley Cup ring.

Afterward we decided to eat at “The Fours Restaurant” just across the street. While walking over we encountered 2 young ladies & their friend.  They had been at the game & I liked one of their sweatshirts.  I told her that & then turned back to Chrissy & signed something.  Both girls started signing to Chrissy & we had a conversation right there on the street!!  It was hilarious!  It was like time stood still & they were totally absorbed in each other.  It turns out they worked with some deaf children in their careers.   I still have the picture we took that day of all of us in front of the restaurant.

Later when we were on the train going back, I was signing to Chrissy about what we were going to do before we went back to the hotel.  An older couple saw me & the wife started signing & telling me their son had been on the US Deaf Ice Hockey team.  They were visiting from Minnesota.  Christina loved that!   

We thank Minuteman Arc for providing such a warm, nurturing environment for Chrissy, at the day center & in her house.  It was such a relief that Chrissy could return to her house & her old room.  It was painted pink because she loved pink.  It was cozy & sunny & just so comfortable.  That really was her home.

We also thank everyone in the community, people we will never meet, for embracing Christina into your hearts.   She loved where she lived & was truly an integral part of her community.   

Christina lived a full & happy life.  We couldn’t have asked for anything more for her.  She was surrounded by her friends & people who cared for her & kept her safe.  Even at the end, Vincent & Denene, went the extra step to provide her with palliative care in her own room.  I was there when she passed & saw the love that everyone had for Christina.  Thank you so much for everything.

Please remember Christina with warm thoughts & happy memories. She was extraordinary in so many ways & brought joy to all of us.  Please feel free to make a donation to a charity of your choosing in Christina’s memory.

Joan & Alvin Harron

Jennifer Hutton

1790 Creekside St.

London, Ontario  N5X 4L8

Canada

T 519-433-9049

Email: luxor19@hotmail.com

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