Obituary
Mary Kay Huffman Pickett lead a very kind and loving life. Even if you met her only once, you would describe her as an exceptionally sweet and optimistic caring soul. Her life was driven by her love of family, friends, and dogs and this incredible giving nature is a staple that endeared her to all.
Born in Batesville, Indiana ironically on Friday the 13th 1945 to Ervin & Helen Young, she had one sibling an older brother named Gary. The Young family settled in Connersville, Indiana in a home on top of 8th Street hill. It was sled riding on this same 8th Street hill as children that Gary got into a fight with a boy who spoke bad of his younger sister… and no one did that without getting a bloody nose.
In Connersville, she attended St Gabriel’s Catholic School where in early grade school she met four lifelong best friends to form the original … FAB FIVE: Colleen, Elaine, Jan, Tina & that girl Mary Catherine. After high school, she attended IBM trade school in Cincinnati to study business. Later in life, she went back to school to earn a CAD Systems Operator certificate as well as a real estate license. She never stopped living or learning and was mentally much younger than her years.
She had a brave stubbornness and a positive attitude as well. When she wanted to accomplish anything. Things like moving to Florida, recently single, with two kids, no home and no job. She somehow always made it work. Brave and stubborn are an understatement and she was never afraid of work when it came to her family.
Mary Kay had truckloads of optimism. 10 years ago, she moved to Leesburg, met Arnie Pickett, and started work in The Villages. Traveling to a lake home in New York every summer to enjoy a garden of onions and tomatoes was a simple pleasure to this midwestern garden girl! Her trusted and favorite fur kid Elliott was with her. Arnie Pickett made this summer lake life possible. Lots of optimism is a prerequisite for any marriage. When she died, she was in a very happy place having recently married her partner of 10 years Arnie.
Mary Kay is survived by her husband Arnie Pickett, children Mark Lawson and Laurie Marleau, son-in-law Walter Marleau, daughter-in-law Julie Lawson, sister-in-law Michelle Young and grandchildren Erin and Spencer Lawson and Scott Marleau. She is proceeded in death by her parents Ervin & Helen Young and brother Gary Young. She will be missed terribly by those who know her kind and giving nature.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Rohan Recreation Center located at 850 Kristine Way in The Villages, Florida 32163 on October 16th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. A second celebration will be held sometime in January 2022 at the Lakeside Village Park Recreation Center at 2580 Lakeside Dr. Leesburg, Florida 34788. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation in her name be made to the local Human Society of Leesburg / Lake County Florida.
Scott, Elliott and Nana at our home