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NGWA past president Worth Pickard passes away
November 19, 2015 By Ground Water Canada
Westerville, OH – Former National Ground Water Association President Worth Pickard, owner of Carolina Well & Pump Co. in Sanford, N.C., died on Nov. 17, the NGWA said in a news release.
From humble beginnings as a driller’s helper in 1951, Pickard rose to the pinnacle of his profession in 1990 with his selection as president of the National Water Well Association, later renamed the National Ground Water Association.
Pickard was the embodiment of sacrificial service and kindness to others, said current NGWA President Richard Thron, MGWC, said
“Worth Pickard was always energetic and willing to help out whoever he could, including me. He spoke kindly of everyone and treated everyone well. He certainly was a gentleman,” Thron said. “He also was a great supporter of NGWA. It’s a shock to lose a gentleman like that. He was an asset to the profession and Association.”
From the time he first entered well drilling until his election as NGWA president, Pickard developed his skills as a well driller. In 1961, he was named a partner in Carolina Well & Pump Co., eventually becoming sole owner. In later years, Pickard’s business specialized in drilling industrial and municipal wells.
In 1963, he was elected to the North Carolina Water Well Association Board, and subsequently elected two terms as president. A scholarship was named in his honor by the state association. During this time, he also was elected to the board of the South Atlantic Jubilee, of which he was a founding member, and served as its president in 1993.
According to Pickard, among the achievements of which he was most proud was helping to start an NGWA program in 1991 to provide leadership training to young people interested in the groundwater industry.
NGWA bestowed two major honors on Pickard: the 2004 Ross L. Oliver Award, and a 1995 NGWA Life Member Award. The Oliver Award is the most prestigious honour given by NGWA for a member who has made outstanding contributions to the ground water industry.
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