Gary W. Pickard, died peacefully at his sister’s home in East Syracuse on Thursday.

According to his obituary, he began his career with the City of Syracuse Urban Renewal Agency and was a partner in The Edgewater Companies where he planned and directed large-scale development programs.

He was co-founder and past president of the Syracuse City School District Educational foundation and co-founder of the former Syracuse Choice program. He was a board member of Elmcrest Children’s Center.

A graduate of Syracuse University, Pickard served on the Orange Pack board and received the Lifetime Most Valuable Player Award from the Orange Pack’s Ernie Davis Club. He also served as a member of the Society of Fellows, the Chancellor’s Council, and the Corporate Advisory Council of Whitman School of Management.

He was a founding member of the Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame and was a member of the board of directors of the U.S. Amateur Boxing Foundation.

He served on the board of directors of Syracuse Stage, Syracuse Symphony and acted as President and member of the board of trustees of the Everson Museum of Art.

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