Arzelia Pickard 1934-2025

By Paso Robles Press · Sat Jan 17 2026

Arzelia “Micki” Pickard died peacefully in December, surrounded by family that overflowed the room and filled the hallway.

No combination of words can describe Micki. She was beautiful and lit up the room. She was an unstoppable force of nature and full of love. She cared for others her entire life: from her younger siblings when she was growing up, to her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as an adult. 

She loved her family and friends, and loved gardening, games, swimming, and snuggles with her little doggie. She loved water skiing, cooking, and talking with her sisters over a cup of coffee. She loved bright colors and houseplants. She dearly loved her husband and best friend of sixty-eight years. She loved traveling and true crime. She loved laughing and hugs. She loved camping, taking trips in the motor home, and watching all the kids’ sporting events. She loved entertaining, cute hats, and rearranging the furniture. She loved pizza and beer. She loved working as one of the earliest computer programmers, as a bookkeeper, a real estate agent, and a small business owner.  

She had so much love to give and touched countless people’s lives. She was steady and reliable. She was so truly loved by so many people. We will miss her endlessly, but she will be with us every time we hear laughter or walk outside on a warm beautiful day or pick a tomato from a garden.

The world is a better place for Micki having been in it.