A tribute to My brother Girard A. Nardone
Girard A. Nardone
Westerly - Girard A. Nardone, the former Chief Laboratory Technologist at
Westerly Hospital and lifelong Westerly resident, died Sunday Feb. 8, 2009, at
home surrounded by family. He was 84.
Mr. Nardone, the son of the late Sabino and Mary Columbia Genzale Nardone,
was passionate about the medical field at a young age. After graduating from
Westerly High School in 1942, he went on to Providence College to study premed.
His college career was interrupted so he could serve in the US Army as a
medical technician during World War II. Mr. Nardone returned to Providence
College after the war. During his college years, he also met his wife of 58
years, M. Agnes O'Neill Nardone of Westerly.
Mr. Nardone graduated from college in 1947, and went on to become Chief
Laboratory Technologist at Westerly Hospital, overseeing the hospital
laboratory, phlebotomy, and blood bank operations. He held this position for 35 years until he
retired in 1983. Mr. Nardone was also a member of the Westerly Hospital Management Team since
its inception and a member of many hospital committees.
Mr. Nardone loved the water, boating and fishing, and was a member of the Westerly Yacht Club.
He enjoyed going clamming and made the best stuffed clams for family parties. He was a big golfer
and listened to the news every morning when he got up. He also enjoyed listening to Frank Sinatra
and Harry Belafonte. In his later years, Mr. Nardone enjoyed taking rides by the beach.
Besides his wife, Mr. Nardone leaves three daughters, Susan Nardone, wife of Richard Augusto of
Sharon, Mass., Tracey Files, wife of Judson Files, of Mystic and Jane Trubia of Westerly, R.I.; four
grandchildren, Alex and Kelsey Trubia and Kate and Lauren Augusto; two brothers, Arthur, husband
of Jean, and Charles, husband of Nelda, both of Pawcatuck; one sister, Angela Wardman, wife of
Jonathan Wardman, of Pawcatuck; a brother-in-law, Arthur O'Neill of Pawcatuck and a sister-in-law,
Esther O'Neill, of Pawcatuck.
Mr. Nardone is also predeceased by another sister-in-law and dear friend, Sister Eleanor O'Neill.
Calling hours will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home, 59
Spruce St., Westerly. A funeral mass will be said at 10 a.m. Thursday at Immaculate Conception on
High St., Westerly.
Girard's daughter Susan Nardone wrote a glowing Eulogy which she read at the Funeral Mass which was held at the Immaculate Conception Church in Westerly, Rhode Island, and it is as follows:
He always wore his white lab coat
and, though he seemed important, he would always stop to show me or Tracey
or Janie something about his work, something about the test tubes, and
vials, and sterile needles. We were so proud of him. We were always
welcome, Girard’s kids. Dad was a sensitive family man, an ardent
sportsman, a lover of reading, a lover of focused, solitary activities. We
often joined him though. Janie told me just the other day about how he
invited her and her sketch pad on one of his morning boating and fishing
trips to Quonny pond. He made her a thermos of hot chocolate. He fished,
she sketched,. She was just five. In the last few years, dad's favorite
activity was to ride by the beach, all the while commenting on the sunny
skies, the blue water, the summery day, and my skillful driving. You, he
would say, are a great driver. You are a perfect driver. He was humble to the core;
a character trait that I think is more precious than all others. He
accomplished so much in his life, as young man drawn fascinated by the
mysteries of science, the big brother of Charlie, and Arthur, and Dolly.
And, as a young adult who led the laboratory at the Westerly Hospital to a
highly respected place in the community. He was the kind of boss who
helped those around him to achieve their potential. Family time was most
precious during our vacations. He investigated, and found Papoose Pond, a
special place that we still go to, as far as we're concerned, he
discovered Provincetowna magical land for our young sensibilities, a
memorable place to walk around. He took us to Vermont to stay in a
beautiful, woodsy lodge, to try skiing on a mountain where dad would teach
us how to snow plow. Bend your knees, put the tips of the skis together,
now, push! Dad loved his grandchildren, often repeating their
misinterpretations of life. --One of the most memorable being Lauren's description of the three wise men as the three wise guys. He talked of them with pride and affection: Alex has a smile that lights up the whole world. The girls: Kelsey, Lauren,
Katie: talented, loving, beautiful inside and out. He loved and honored my
mom, his wife Agnes, with a tenderness that seemed to grow. Of all the
names he couldn't recall--he never, ever forgot hers. I couldn't even think
about talking about dad without mentioning his cooking skills. Long before
the barefoot Contessa or Rachael Ray, my dad would sit and watch Julia
Child on a Saturday afternoon, picking up subtle details to refine his own
fantastic cooking. Not that I always liked his experiments as a child, I
remember tentatively tasting his pungent baked bluefish with sliced
tomatoes, or the fried mussels that he'd pulled that morning from
Charlestown pond. Who could forget his homemade pizza on Sunday nights or
his baked, stuffed lobster? He was the cook in our family in more ways
than one, bringing together the sometimes colliding, nonsensical, loving, nurturing
elements that make up a family and serving us the very best that life has
to offer: affection, love, listening. His faith in God shined through,
more evident in later years, his belief that he was and is being taken
care of and that he is loved by his family and God. We were with him in
the last moments, and are with him now, a gift from God to us and to dad. – Authored and read by Susan Nardone at the Immaculate Conception Church on February 12, 2009. It is ironic that I am publishing this on February 18, 2009, exactly 30 years from the day that our father, Sabino Nardone, passed away. I will be writing more in this blog from time to time. I hope that you have found something fulfilling from reading this blog.Sincerely,
Charles A. Nardone
Westerly - Girard A. Nardone, the former Chief Laboratory Technologist at
Westerly Hospital and lifelong Westerly resident, died Sunday Feb. 8, 2009, at
home surrounded by family. He was 84.
Mr. Nardone, the son of the late Sabino and Mary Columbia Genzale Nardone,
was passionate about the medical field at a young age. After graduating from
Westerly High School in 1942, he went on to Providence College to study premed.
His college career was interrupted so he could serve in the US Army as a
medical technician during World War II. Mr. Nardone returned to Providence
College after the war. During his college years, he also met his wife of 58
years, M. Agnes O'Neill Nardone of Westerly.
Mr. Nardone graduated from college in 1947, and went on to become Chief
Laboratory Technologist at Westerly Hospital, overseeing the hospital
laboratory, phlebotomy, and blood bank operations. He held this position for 35 years until he
retired in 1983. Mr. Nardone was also a member of the Westerly Hospital Management Team since
its inception and a member of many hospital committees.
Mr. Nardone loved the water, boating and fishing, and was a member of the Westerly Yacht Club.
He enjoyed going clamming and made the best stuffed clams for family parties. He was a big golfer
and listened to the news every morning when he got up. He also enjoyed listening to Frank Sinatra
and Harry Belafonte. In his later years, Mr. Nardone enjoyed taking rides by the beach.
Besides his wife, Mr. Nardone leaves three daughters, Susan Nardone, wife of Richard Augusto of
Sharon, Mass., Tracey Files, wife of Judson Files, of Mystic and Jane Trubia of Westerly, R.I.; four
grandchildren, Alex and Kelsey Trubia and Kate and Lauren Augusto; two brothers, Arthur, husband
of Jean, and Charles, husband of Nelda, both of Pawcatuck; one sister, Angela Wardman, wife of
Jonathan Wardman, of Pawcatuck; a brother-in-law, Arthur O'Neill of Pawcatuck and a sister-in-law,
Esther O'Neill, of Pawcatuck.
Mr. Nardone is also predeceased by another sister-in-law and dear friend, Sister Eleanor O'Neill.
Calling hours will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home, 59
Spruce St., Westerly. A funeral mass will be said at 10 a.m. Thursday at Immaculate Conception on
High St., Westerly.
Girard's daughter Susan Nardone wrote a glowing Eulogy which she read at the Funeral Mass which was held at the Immaculate Conception Church in Westerly, Rhode Island, and it is as follows:
He always wore his white lab coat
and, though he seemed important, he would always stop to show me or Tracey
or Janie something about his work, something about the test tubes, and
vials, and sterile needles. We were so proud of him. We were always
welcome, Girard’s kids. Dad was a sensitive family man, an ardent
sportsman, a lover of reading, a lover of focused, solitary activities. We
often joined him though. Janie told me just the other day about how he
invited her and her sketch pad on one of his morning boating and fishing
trips to Quonny pond. He made her a thermos of hot chocolate. He fished,
she sketched,. She was just five. In the last few years, dad's favorite
activity was to ride by the beach, all the while commenting on the sunny
skies, the blue water, the summery day, and my skillful driving. You, he
would say, are a great driver. You are a perfect driver. He was humble to the core;
a character trait that I think is more precious than all others. He
accomplished so much in his life, as young man drawn fascinated by the
mysteries of science, the big brother of Charlie, and Arthur, and Dolly.
And, as a young adult who led the laboratory at the Westerly Hospital to a
highly respected place in the community. He was the kind of boss who
helped those around him to achieve their potential. Family time was most
precious during our vacations. He investigated, and found Papoose Pond, a
special place that we still go to, as far as we're concerned, he
discovered Provincetowna magical land for our young sensibilities, a
memorable place to walk around. He took us to Vermont to stay in a
beautiful, woodsy lodge, to try skiing on a mountain where dad would teach
us how to snow plow. Bend your knees, put the tips of the skis together,
now, push! Dad loved his grandchildren, often repeating their
misinterpretations of life. --One of the most memorable being Lauren's description of the three wise men as the three wise guys. He talked of them with pride and affection: Alex has a smile that lights up the whole world. The girls: Kelsey, Lauren,
Katie: talented, loving, beautiful inside and out. He loved and honored my
mom, his wife Agnes, with a tenderness that seemed to grow. Of all the
names he couldn't recall--he never, ever forgot hers. I couldn't even think
about talking about dad without mentioning his cooking skills. Long before
the barefoot Contessa or Rachael Ray, my dad would sit and watch Julia
Child on a Saturday afternoon, picking up subtle details to refine his own
fantastic cooking. Not that I always liked his experiments as a child, I
remember tentatively tasting his pungent baked bluefish with sliced
tomatoes, or the fried mussels that he'd pulled that morning from
Charlestown pond. Who could forget his homemade pizza on Sunday nights or
his baked, stuffed lobster? He was the cook in our family in more ways
than one, bringing together the sometimes colliding, nonsensical, loving, nurturing
elements that make up a family and serving us the very best that life has
to offer: affection, love, listening. His faith in God shined through,
more evident in later years, his belief that he was and is being taken
care of and that he is loved by his family and God. We were with him in
the last moments, and are with him now, a gift from God to us and to dad. – Authored and read by Susan Nardone at the Immaculate Conception Church on February 12, 2009. It is ironic that I am publishing this on February 18, 2009, exactly 30 years from the day that our father, Sabino Nardone, passed away. I will be writing more in this blog from time to time. I hope that you have found something fulfilling from reading this blog.Sincerely,
Charles A. Nardone
posted by Chas Nardone at Wednesday, February 18, 2009
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