Mary Ellen Foley Picard, age 86, of Mobile, Alabama, passed away peacefully on August 22, 2026. Born in Sandusky, Ohio, on September 19, 1939, to Gerald Ambrose and Bernice Floyd Foley, Mary Ellen grew up in the small town of Port Clinton, Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie.
She attended Immaculate Conception Catholic School and Church, where her mother played the organ for many years. It was during these formative years that she developed a deep, lifelong faith and met her dear friends, the “Famous 4.” The close-knit group remained inseparable throughout their adult lives, sharing fabulous travel adventures every summer.
Her formation at Immaculate Conception, remained with her and instilled in her a deep faith that endured to the end. Mary Ellen was an excellent student who graduated from Port Clinton High School. Her youth was filled with adventure: ice skating on Lake Erie, playing the French horn, embarking on lively shenanigans in Put-in-Bay, riding her bicycle to Canada, and spending holidays with her Newark cousins, who were like siblings to her. Her tight-knit Irish family enjoyed many fun times together and affectionately gave her the nickname “Precious.”
Mary Ellen attended Ohio University, where she was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority, and earned a degree in business. Following graduation, Mary Ellen began her career as an executive secretary at the corporate headquarters of Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan. While at Ford Motor, she married and relocated to Mobile, Alabama embracing the south as her home for the last 58 years. In Mobile, she worked in the financial services and medical fields, eventually retiring just one year ago from St. Ignatius Catholic Church.
Mary Ellen adored her family and cherished spending holidays and daily life with them. She was a constant, proud fixture at her grandchildren’s CYO basketball games, sporting events, plays, and other activities. She lived her life with immense wisdom, gratitude, and humility, always proud of her Irish heritage, her devout faith, and her deep love for her family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Gerald Ambrose and Bernice Floyd Foley.
She is survived by her children, Lawrence Philip Picard (Kelly) and Jason Michael Picard (Jennifer); her grandchildren, Gabrielle Mosher (Patrick), Lawrence Philip Picard, II, Caroline Foley Picard, Robert Charles Picard, Lucille Ann Picard, John Rowan Andrew Picard, Hattie Mae Picard, and Abigail Rose Picard; and her great-grandchild, Robert Gregory Mosher.
Mary Ellen will be missed deeply by all who knew and loved her. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Ignatius Catholic Church, McGill – Toolen Catholic High School or Little Sisters of the Poor.
Visitation will be held at Ascension Funeral Home & Crematory, 1016 Hillcrest Rd, Mobile, AL 36695, US, on August 27, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with a Rosary at 6:00 pm.
A Funeral Mass will take place at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, 3704 Spring Hill Ave, Mobile, AL 36608 on August 28, 2026, at 11:00 am, with interment at 2:30 P.M. at Pine Crest Cemetery.
