Mary Ugazio Pickens

It is with the heaviest of hearts and most profound sadness that we announce the passing of an extraordinary woman, Mary Ugazio (Miano) Pickens on July 13, 2026. Mary was born May 18, 1970, in Queens, New York to immigrant parents from Argentina and Columbia, respectively, Angel Alberto Ugazio and Nancy Nieto Ugazio. Mary was very proud of her Latina heritage, and spoke 3 languages fluently, Spanish, Italian and English.

She spent her childhood from 1972 – 1980 in Allentown, Pennsylvania when her dad went to work for Bethlehem Steel.

It was in those years she fell in love with the Pittsburgh Steelers; the team she would follow all her life with great enthusiasm. Mary moved with her family to Houston, Texas in 1980 and later to McAllen, Texas in 1982.

She was a graduate of McAllen High School in the Class of 1988, where she participated in cross country and track. She had an adventurous spirit and a lifelong love of fast cars and convertibles-her gold convertible Chrysler LeBaron became one of her and her high school friends’ signature memories. It was in high school that she first flashed her incredible sense of style and love of fashion-her friends still remember her stunning designer dresses to all the high school dances

She attended Texas Tech in 1988-89 and graduated Cum Laude from the University of Houston with a degree in Criminal Justice in 1991.

She was married to Alan Ross Miano 1992-2007, and together they had a son in 1999, Aidan Daniel Miano. Aidan was Mary's only child and greatest joy in life, and their relationship was very close and loving. Mary involved and devoted herself to Aidan’s childhood through his high school years and beyond. She managed Aidan’s club lacrosse team and she organized their travel to tournaments through the northeast U.S. for 5 years, and she served as Band mom at Jesuit High School from 2013 -2017. She was always there for Aidan, shuttling he and his teammates to games in their Lacrosse uniforms or taking Aidan and a carload of his friends to the lake for the weekend. Whenever Mary put her interest in something, she put herself ALL in, passionately and with enthusiasm. And Aidan was her greatest enthusiasm.

In addition to being a devoted and loving mother, she was a beloved daughter and caretaker to her mom Nancy, a valued and beloved stepmother to Nolan, Kiley and Trey, a trusted and beloved sister to her brother Sergio, trusted mother-in-law to Cecelia and Larson, and nurturing and loving grandmother to Mae, Danny, and Porter. She was a trustworthy and caring friend to many, and a loving, loyal, and devoted wife to Bill.

Mary began working at age 16 at Burger King and JC Penney in McAllen to support her family, demonstrating a strong work ethic from an early age. Her professional career began in earnest in 1994 when she began work as a sales associate and consultant for Herman Miller Company from 1994-2000 where she focused on mid-large volume projects and she consistently provided her clients with customer service that exceeded their expectations. In 2003 she became a sales associate for Knoll, Inc. (modern design office furniture solutions) where she was responsible for growing project business and identifying new project opportunities and cultivating those opportunities for specification. From 2005-2012 she worked at Page Southerland Page architecture and engineering firm where she was liaison to the real estate community. Working closely with brokers, developers and building owners, Mary identified opportunities for the firm and brought together the right resources based on the client's needs.

The zenith of her professional career was from 2012-2019 when she worked for G L Seaman & Company where she became a specialist in modular interior construction and was responsible for new business development and growing the DIRTT program at G L Seaman & Company, working with developers, architects, and corporate clients to create flexible modern workplace designs. DIRTT -- Doing It Right This Time agile architectural solutions. DIRTT walls she sold are pre-engineered, pre-manufactured walls that are the most architectural in design in North America and the most adaptable in the industry.

Over the years she became a well-respected and highly experienced workplace solutions professional, integrated construction specialist, change management expert and she became a talented commercial interior designer based in Dallas Ft. Worth. She excelled at selling DIRTT walls in building projects throughout Dallas Ft. Worth area, across the state of Texas, and from San Francisco to New York. Mary was a real estate industry speaker and advocate, frequently speaking at Dallas commercial real estate panels and events such as the BISNOW conference in 2016. She shared her expertise on the Dallas Workplace Of The Future panel, championing DIRTT walls, and discussing workplace design trends, real estate adaptation, and design-build strategies. Her broad skill set included executive level change management, operational strategic plans, optimizing strategic plans and member engagement databases.

She served on The Real Estate Council (TREC) from 2001-2019, she was a Board Member of the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors (NTCAR) from 2010-2019, serving as Membership Committee Chair in 2010.

Over and above her professional success, Mary was an intentional and faithful child of God. She was proud, vibrant, creative, independent, energetic, motivated, thoughtful, generous, kind, loving, passionate, sensitive, loyal, fiercely protective of those she loved, honorable, confident, determined, courageous, tenacious, respectful, resilient, colorful, very intelligent, and extremely versatile. She could dazzle in an elegant evening gown as easily as she could wearing camouflage, just as she could look spectacular in a ski outfit or swimsuit.

She could mingle and interact effortlessly in any event. Her confidence, grace and class showed through in everything she did, and she would always bring a fun and feisty energy wherever she went. Her fun-loving personality would light up every room she walked into, her energy and her bright magnetic smile would naturally draw people to her.

She had a style and substance that was all her own, and she had a light within her that would brighten the mood of everyone she engaged with.

She loved the ocean, dolphins, sea turtles, Vizslas, yellow labs, hummingbirds, horses, and miniature donkeys.

She was an orchid whisperer and loved her wild orchids that she transplanted to trees around her beloved Seacret Garden Villa on the island of St. John in the U. S. Virgin Islands. Hydrangeas and Irises were also planted in whatever garden she dug her hands into.

She loved travel, walks on the beach, sunsets, snorkeling, skiing, golf, fishing, hunting, pickleball, and stargazing. She was a licensed, certified and experienced boat captain (<65ft) and could feather a 53ft. power catamaran into a tight slip, going downwind in front of numerous onlookers on one attempt with the fenders of the boat barely touching the dock in textbook fashion.

She loved music, mahjong, backgammon, corn hole…all games, convertibles, and concerts. She loved entertaining close friends at the ranch or at the villa or captaining friends on excursions through the BVl's.

She was an amazing woman with an extraordinary and beautiful soul to go with a great range of skills and abilities.

On October 16, 2018, she met a man whom she would marry on June 22, 2019, William Pickens Jr. Together they forged a bond in marriage that was magnificent and unequaled. They loved each other intentionally, passionately, transparently, and completely, and Bill was always Mary's boldest advocate, supporter and the greatest fan of her life. Their honeymoon lasted 7 romantic years, and they were seldom seen without one another.

She embraced and interacted easily and often with her stepchildren. Often competing in games with Nolan, and she became Kiley's 2nd mom and vital maternal friend.

But, most of all, she adored her 3 grandchildren, Mae, Danny, and Porter. She loved them beyond measure and relished their visits and sleepovers after Bill & Mary moved into their home in Bluffview, the house she called her castle on the hill. She cherished her time at home watching Mae weekdays from infancy to 3 years old. During that time Mary and Mae developed a beautiful, loving and nurturing relationship and were often seen together out doing the errands. Several times others were visibly surprised to learn that Mary was her grandmother and not her mother, Mary didn't look like a traditional grandmother, and this world is darker without her radiant smile and her bright light from within.

Mary is predeceased by her father, Angel Alberto Ugazio and mother-in-law Marguerite Pickens.

Left to grieve and mourn her passing are her loving husband of 7 years and 3 weeks, William Charles Pickens Jr.; her mother Nancy Nieto Ugazio; her brother Sergio A. Ugazio and Sister-in-Law Miriam Ugazio; her son, Aidan Daniel Miano, daughter in law, Cecelia Denise Miano; stepsons William Pickens III, Nolan Sencer Pickens and daughter in law Larson Lynn Pickens, stepdaughter Kiley Gardner Pickens; nieces, Jianna Marie Ugazio, Jessica Lisa McReyenolds and her family; nephews, Aaron Lee Ugazio, Jarred Miller Pickens and his family; brother in law Chad Crafill and sister in law Angelique Foster Cranfill; and her father-in-law William Charles Pickens; and her dogs Lucy and Tuco; in addition to countless other cousins, grand nieces, grand nephews, family, and friends from Argentina to Canada, and San Francisco to New York.

A Celebration of Life service is Monday, August 10, 2026, at 1:00pm at Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, Texas 75205.

The family will receive guests and well-wishers afterward at the Park City Club from 2:30-4:30pm located at 5956 Sherry Lane, 17th Floor, Dallas, Texas 75225.

In lieu of flowers please make donations donate to: The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation (a foundation for suicide awareness), 3100 West 7th Street #240, Fort Worth, TX 76107 or at the link https://jordanelizabethharrisfoundation.org/donate. Please enter Mary’s name in the "Honoree Name" section of the donation form; or Viz Whizz Dogs Rescue (formerly Vizsla Rescue Texas) 103 Crestview Dr., Cedar Park, TX 78613 or at the link: vizwhizzdogsrescue.org in memory of Mary Pickens; or Jesuit High School, Dallas, Texas in memory of Mary Miano Pickens.