Memory of Mickey
Mickey had a gift for talking to and listening to kids. He never talked down to them, never condescended.
I cannot express enough what a gift that was to the shy, dorky, awkward kid I was.
My earliest Mickey Memory: when I was still in elementary school, my parents had left me at the Nardo’s so they could go do some Mysterious Adult Thing That Was Beyond My Ken. I had brought a couple of library books with me, and prepared to hole up in a corner and read, as I often did when left to my own devices. I’d been reading for just a few minutes when Mickey said, “Let’s make potato chips! Come on.” I was amazed – I’d never heard you could do that at home, so I went. For the next hour or so, we sliced potatoes and dropped them in hot oil, then salted and ate them while they were still hot and crispy.
My parents tried, but couldn’t always connect with me about my passions. I had interests very different from theirs, so sometimes I felt I was speaking another language when I tried to share the excitement I had for things like comic books, D&D and the novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Mickey was an adult that I could talk to about those things without feeling like a weirdo. Given the bullying I experienced in elementary school, that helped me overcome a lot of the anxiety I suffered as a kid and be a little more fearless than before.
Where did you meet him?
Through my parents. Egg Roast!
Memory of Mickey
Starting at the beginning. Mid 70’s. Mickey and Sharon. I remember Abby from Inman Middle School where I worked with Mrs. Suchanek and the children in the band. Spunky little blonde girl. So talented. Dad talked about Mickey being a shrink. That’s about all I knew.
The egg roasts with Grandy, Mickey, and the rest of the folks, were a huge highlight of the year for our family. I went to be with all the other kids, but my father went to be with Andy and Mickey. Our conversations usually revolved around where Andy would hide the egg this year. Which team we’d be on, etc… Dad loved to go several days before to get everything ready. The 3 old men had their great time together around that firepit. Wonderful company. Food. Baptisms. Music. Camping. Memories.
I remember Sharon being in charge of keeping up with how many eggs were remaining, counting the donations for the prizes and reminding us when a clue would be coming up. All of my boys were baptized down in Shiloh with these people who have become family. We all signed a document acknowledging our presence at this important event.
Years later, I would be baptized at Lake Grandview by Andy. This same core group of people attended. Signed as witnesses. Mickey gave me a book that was an important one for him. He signed it “Got me through 10 years – Love,
Mickey”
He left a couple of papers in the book for me.
One read: My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. – Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude
While Dad and Mickey had been friends for decades, I’d say the last few years of their friendship were the most treasured for me. Dad’s health declined significantly. Mickey was there for him the entire way. Both Mickey and Sharon came to stay in Nashville while testing was going on at Vanderbilt. Dad had difficulty walking and this hindered their mid-morning lunch time. Mickey would drive to the back of the house so Dad could make it to his Jeep for the ride. This went on until Dad couldn’t make it to the Jeep at all. Mickey visited daily. A true example of friendship. He spent the afternoon with Dad on the day before Dad died. They were able to be with me the morning Dad passed away. As I’m writing this, it doesn’t feel like justice is being done to this person and the relationship he had with my father. I bet they’ll be fine with it, though.
I’ve told my boys one of the most important things in life is to create a ripple effect. When you can help someone you need to help them, and that goodness will go on and on. I’m so fortunate to have been a part of Mickey and Sharon’s ripple in this world.
Memory of Mickey
I love Mickey and Sharon and missed them sorely when they moved to Jasper. A favorite memory happened near Christmas in about 1980. I was in law school, just had finished exams. We wanted to go out with M & S to celebrate but we were leaving for my Grannie’s in Mississippi the following morning and had all our preparation to do, including hiding all of it from our almost 7 year old. Remember, for months I had no social life! Mickey said, let’s go to eat and then we will come back to your house and help you wrap all the presents. I couldn’t believe it! There were tons to wrap. He gave us the opportunity to have fun First and continue the fun talking with them as the gifts were wrapped. Those sweet angels!! Thanks always Mickey and Sharon for just being you.
Memory of Mickey
I’ve known Abby since 4th grade. During elementary school we were pretty good friends and spent a lot of time at each other’s houses. So I spent a fair amount of time with her parents over the course of the years. Mickey was always “Dr. Nardo” to me. Whenever I was over, he mostly seemed to be doing something intellectual and “computer-y”. But he always had time to indulge whatever shenanigans Abby and I would get into as kids. I remember several times where Abby and I would concoct these strange “recipes” out of all kinds of various mysterious kitchen ingredients. Even if we made a mess, Dr. Nardo would never mind. He was always good-natured about it and would be our taste tester, which he probably regretted at some point. And one time he helped us make homemade pasta. We had noodles that went all the way down the hallway! At least that is how my 10 year old brain remembers it. Always a good time at the Nardos’.
Memory of Mickey
I got to grow up around Mickey; in the seventies, he was one of the oddball grownups at the Lipscombs parties. In the eighties, he was one of the oddball grownups at the Flint Hill egg hunts, where I also grew up, and raised my own kids. I got to watch Mickey become one of the brilliant sages of the Pig Roasts, the Egg Hunts, and whatever else went on that drew together the tribes of Morningside, Ansley Park and Flint Hill.
Favorite memories vary from the weekend that he trashed his brand new jeep, down at Andy’s farm, giving everybody rides through the woods until he broke an axel or two, on up to the various times he helped show me how to slow down and just be there with my kids.
Oh, and he also, through one of his first websites, taught me about the zen of javascript, which was a good thing since I’d taken a job doing lots of that.
He was one of those, like Andy and Al, who were supposed to always be there; they were just fixtures in my life that I regret now too often taking for granted.
Where did you meet him?
Since Abby was a few years older than Broek (b.6/5/75) we were just starting to use the Morningside Baby Sitting Coop and you were toward the end. But it was thru the Coop that we met the Nardos. Jane Lipscomb invited a pregnant Chris while they potted at Callandwolde. I think that she was carrying Micah at the time.
Memory of Mickey Tales of Mickey Nardo
While several stories come to mind, I won’t be able to tell some because I only heard them. Other tales focus on Sharon & Abby & less on Mickey. I shall add those only with editorial approval:
1. MLK Assassination & Mickey at the ER.
Since I heard about this once, I am not qualified to tell it.
2. Pig/Chicken/Goat Roast.
While we ate frequently, I went once to witness our sour mash marinated roasters Mickey, Andy, Bob & more, do their thing. Not qualified to tell this tale either.
3. 1st PC.
Identifying a need while Sharon worked for Carlsten Associates, she asked Mickey to help us embark on our 30 year journey toward the galaxy of IT. Without Mickey, this would have taken light years for us to get on board.
4. The Printer & the Pickup (Another told tale)
The morning after an all night down pour, Mickey went outside & discovered his printer floating upside down in the back of his pickup. Unphased, he fished it out, gave it a dog-like shake, commandeered Sharon’s hair dryer blew dry this high tech piece of plastic & ink. It worked fine afterward.
5. Touring Nardo.
When Jenny & her family were living on the heal of the Italian boot, we visited the Ionian Coastal City of Nardo. Way back when, Nardo hauled in the fruits of the sea and did their best to prevent the Saracens, Ottomans & the Venetians from hauling them off to row their galleys. Today, the Nardo’s population still fishes, tend to the piers for pleasure craft, welcomes boat loads of refugees from Africa, and loyally attends Fiat’s perfectly circular track for auto testing & racing.
Where did you meet him?
When we first babysat Abby, through Morningside Babysitting Coop
Memory of Mickey
In 1980 I was riding my bicycle home from work in downtown Atlanta and was hit by a car, almost killed, taken to Grady Hospital. Mickey came to the hospital to run interference with the doctors for Trisha, to help her make decisions on moving me to Piedmont, etc. My first conscious memory after that accident was in the ambulance when I was moved, I looked up and Mickey's face was the only thing I saw–he rode in the ambulance with me. He and Sharon kept up the vigil for the whole time I was in the hospital, visiting, Mickey talking to me about the psychological impact of such a severe physical injury, how he was going to use my case in his teaching doctors how to be more empathetic to this aspect. And after I got home, he and Andy Lipscomb came over and built a wheelchair ramp to our backdoor for me. I can still remember his laughter as he and Andy worked. He counseled me on what to expect as I healed, especially how the psychological aspect would likely eventually outweigh the physical.
He was right, of course, and when it did all come crashing down around me, Mickey came to our house late one night and stayed with me through probably the longest night of my life, helping me through this crisis and convincing me of how much I needed continuing counseling. So Mickey quite literally saved my life, like he did for so many others–and for that I'm forever indebted to him, but also to Sharon and Abby for being willing to share him and allow him to do what he did for me.
Over the years Trisha and I spent a lot of time with Mickey and Sharon–camping at our secluded spot on Lake Altoona–where Mickey built little sailboats with Todd, who was just a toddler, and then he lit the little boats so the flame's heat would propel them out into the water. Todd was fascinated, especially when it rained most of the day and Mickey convinced him that it really wasn't raining! Here was this brilliant man, one of the smartest people I've ever met, who was sitting down in the muddy shores of the lake, making little sailboats with a small child, and having so much fun doing it–pretty awesome!
In 2013, when Trisha and I were RVing around the country, Mickey and Sharon flew to Baltimore and we spent a week together visiting Ft. McHenry, Annapolis, the Civil War Museum of Medicine in Frederick, MD, the Amish country and Gettysburg Battlefield. Especially in the medical museum it was fascinating to hear Mickey's comments, as a doctor, on how the triage system developed during this war has changed so little since then. What fun it was, with Mickey's sense of humor keeping us all laughing.
So many memories of Mickey through the years, staying up all night roasting the pig for the neighborhood picnic; then the year after of my bike accident, he and Andy driving his pickup to our house and lifting me in my wheelchair up into the truck bed and driving through the park to the pig! And one recent memory, of Mickey's speech at the celebration of his and Sharon's 50th anniversary. Mickey had something humorous to say about every guest who was there, yet his comments were also subtly profound, as he described the life he and Sharon had shared with all of the people there, over the years. And as he ended it, his moving tribute to Sharon and the love they had shared, was something for the ages. Yes, Mickey was brilliant, accomplished and successful in his profession. But most of all, he was true to himself and one of the most down to earth people ever. Godspeed to you, Mickey!
Where did you meet him?
Sharon and Mickey are friends of my parents
Memory of Mickey
It has been years since I have seen both Sharon and Mickey, but they were fixtures from my childhood. When I was a child the mothers were always the people most ingrained in my brain, of course there were fathers who stood out, but some of them, who are no longer present in my life, have faded from my memory. Mickey had such a presence, I may have been a little afraid of him as a child, but I also remember thinking that he was a funny guy. I remember his voice most distinctly and the twinkle in his eye. I know that he is missed, his passing had an effect on me that I would have never imagined and he wasn't part of my everyday woodwork. Sending you all lots of love and light.
Memory of Mickey
Mickey and Sharon were among my parents' best friends, so he was a regular presence in my life. We'd take walks through the neighborhood and end up at their house. Mickey would invariably be tinkering with something–a homemade computer, a homemade printer, a recipe, a gadget, a half-built boat in the basement. And as he did, he'd tell stories and crack jokes–always with a twinkle in his eye–and still somehow manage to ask questions about me, and what was going on in my life, in a way that displayed genuine interest, no matter how interesting my answers. He was one of a kind, and we were all lucky to have him in our lives.
