This park was established in the 1950s when the Sharpstown subdivision was being developed.  It was a city park and called Lansdale park until 2001 when the City of Houston and Harris County agreed to maintain it jointly.  City Council Member Mark Ellis said the park needed a lot of improvements that would be a long time coming on the city's timetable.  Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack agreed to make the needed improvements.

The county installed a new playground, a walking trail, a new perimeter fence and new landscaping.  The county maintains these features and the city continues to maintain the original basketball pavilion, swimming pool and community building.  The city still refers to it as Lansdale Park.  The county's name for it is Monsignor Bill Pickard Park.  Father Pickard is a former pastor of St. Frances de Sales Church, on Roos Road across the street from this park.

Bill Pickard was born in Port Arthur in 1930.  He was educated there at St. James Catholic School and then entered St. Mary's Seminary at La Porte, where he was ordained in 1947.

Father Pickard was assigned first to St. Mary's Parish in La Marque.    

Monsignor (Father) Bill Pickard

He had assignments at Sacred Heart and at the Diocesan Office before he asked to be sent to work with the poor in Central America.  He was sent to Guatemala and served there until 1972 and while there he founded a new parish in one of the colonies on the outskirts of Guatemala City.  When he returned to Houston, he was named pastor of St. Benedict's Church.  While he was there, Father Pickard was raised to the rank of Monsignor.  He moved to St. Mary's Seminary in 1984 and taught and served as Director of Formation until he was named pastor of St. Frances de Sales where he served until he reached the age of 70 and asked to be relieved.  He moved then to St. Theresa's Church to serve as parochial vicar.