We Say Goodbye to a Friend

With great sadness we share the loss of our friend and former office manager, Leonardo. He was 19.

“Mr. Nardo” was an important part of our business until his retirement several years ago. He instituted our long-running office recreation program, which included games of fetch and red light-green light.

Nardo could type 45 gobbledygook words per minute, and had real enthusiasm for filing and printer maintenance. He was an excellent chair-warmer and pencil-pusher. He took his unofficial role as office counselor very seriously; many a tense moment was calmed by his soothing presence. In 13 years of service, he required only occasional reprimands for inappropriate grooming.

While we appreciated his business strengths, Nardo was a family man at heart. The party boy ways of his youth were replaced quite gracefully by a love for his kids. He tirelessly patrolled the closets and under bed spaces for monsters. Whenever anyone was up late—finishing a project, feeling sick or sad—he was always there for a snuggle or a head bump. No one was allowed to feel lonely in his house.

More recently he even assisted with homework assignments; his skill on laptops was unmatched.

Nardo loved dogs and donuts, baths and biscuits. He had a notable sense of style and a flair for the dramatic: he wore his trademark tuxedo right into retirement.

It’s rare to find a friend and coworker as gifted as Mr. Nardo. Driven by a natural curiosity, he lived with real enthusiasm. He seemed to forget any harsh words, forgave any slights, and he ended every day with a song.

Our days will be quieter and emptier without him.