Some people can visit a cemetery and feel a special bond with loved ones who have passed. Others are terrified at the thought and equate it with the ghoulish night of Halloween, where evil spirits lurk. Then there are others who have turned the page and don’t see any point in visiting loved ones or friends who are no longer with them.While visiting cemeteries is not something I frequently make a point of doing, when paying my respects to friends or family members I feel I have stepped into a history book of stories and intrigue most books can seldom capture. I feel that certain intimacy in one such cemetery, “Our Lady of the Isle Cemetery,” located on Shelter Island, N.Y. Few places have given me an inner peace than this small cemetery has to offer. Driving up the narrow tree-lined road, you come to an opening in the woods where stories of inventors, political figures, family members, friends, and veterans abound. Many I have known, primarily through my mom and dad, who lie there and are part of that unique history. I have stayed there for hours and relived childhood memories second to none and the people that made it so special. However, when visiting a cemetery of this size, you feel an intimacy or bond with those you have loved, particularly with those who have served.
One of the most memorable walks I’ve taken there has been on Veteran’s Day or Memorial Day, where small flags adorn the entire cemetery like a carpet of spring flowers, commemorating the service of our fallen or deceased veterans. It is inspiring to see just how many people who have had some connection to this quaint island have sacrificed so much for the freedoms we enjoy today. There are World War I and II veterans, those who fought in the Korean and Vietnam wars, and even a dear friend of ours whose son was disarming bombs in Afghanistan ahead of his platoon when he stepped on an IED and sacrificed his life to save the 20 members of his team. We all have stories like this of people we know who “gave all” for their country, and then we have others who “gave all” differently.
One of my first interviewees was Punta Gorda’s first female mayor, Marilyn Smith-Mooney. Formally from Long Island, New York, Marilyn lived a life of accomplishments that would have spanned at least two lifetimes. The first half of her life was in the private sector, focused primarily on architecture, interior design, and ownership and management of a commercial construction corporation. The latter half of her life centered around executive management team positions in human resources and corporate development. She was a pilot and an Amelia Earhart award recipient. She was a graduate of the Advanced Institute for Elected Municipal Officials, Leadership Charlotte, and Local Government Leadership Florida. For eight years, Marilyn served as executive director and vice-chair of the Tetrault Family Foundation. This private non-profit provided $30 million in funding and development of the 27-acre Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens, where breathtaking sculptures from artists worldwide are displayed among specimen floral fauna from the area.
She also obtained her Florida Supreme Court certification as a county mediator, which only scratches the surface of this talented woman’s accomplishments and awards. In 2017 Marilyn was honored with the award from the Punta Gorda Rotary for “Service Above Self,” acknowledging her work for so many non-profits and individuals “needing a caring heart.” However, one award Marilyn was most proud of was being the first recipient of the “Distinguished Civilian Award” from the Military Heritage Museum, which she received in August 2021.As long as I knew Marilyn, she always had a special place in her heart for the military and those who served our country, and she wanted that history preserved for generations to come. She joined the Military Heritage Museum Board and became its president in 2007, holding the position for more than five years. She stayed on as a board member feeling “new blood, energy and ideas” were needed from leadership, but once again was recruited to serve as its president. Today the Military Heritage Museum is one of the most unique and awe-inspiring tributes to those who played such an essential role in preserving our country’s rich history.
Like many small towns throughout our country, there is a special bond and gratitude you feel when seeing someone who has served their country. Punta Gorda has that bond through the Military Heritage Museum, and the Veteran’s Memorial Wall found in Veteran’s Park within the city. With Memorial Day upon us, most associate it with the start of summer and the activities we’ve waited to enjoy all winter; however, as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to appreciate the service those have made to give us the freedom we have today. 
There is a military saying I came across, “All gave some, some gave all,” and while that may imply those that haven’t fought in wars “gave some,” Marilyn Smith-Mooney is a perfect example of someone who may not have marched off to war, but to me, she “gave all.” Thankfully, I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to thank her for her “service” before she passed shortly after receiving her Distinguished Civilian Award from the Military Heritage Museum.
There is a military saying I came across, “All gave some, some gave all,” and while that may imply those that haven’t fought in wars “gave some,” Marilyn Smith-Mooney is a perfect example of someone who may not have marched off to war, but to me, she “gave all.” Thankfully, I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to thank her for her “service” before she passed shortly after receiving her Distinguished Civilian Award from the Military Heritage Museum.We send our best wishes to all for a happy, healthy, and memorable Memorial Day. To our Veterans, we thank you for your service.
-Gary Cardillo
Through these friendships, we’ve been all over the world from Singapore and Vietnam to Europe and South America. We traveled through the back roads of our great country and journeyed the Intracoastal from Florida to New England. We’ve met politicians and have been to some of the most dangerous locations in the middle-east. “How did you get to do all of this in such a short life span you may ask?” While I’ve experienced some very special places when traveling through our country, unfortunately the closest I’ve gotten to Europe was a road trip to Massachusetts. Sarah Palin may have claimed to see Russia from her home in Alaska, but through the intimate stories told by clients who became close friends we feel as if we experienced these real-life stories and adventures, many of which we hope to take ourselves someday.
Everyone has a story or knows of someone who has a storied background, but when you have the opportunity to spend as much time with clients as we do, their histories come to life in a way that makes you feel as if you went through a time with them. I remember one client who had been in the largest naval battle to this day. He was on a 500 ft. aircraft carrier in the Philippines and to listen to his story of the incoming fire they took, you couldn’t help but feel you were right alongside him. Other clients spoke of Communist regimes they escaped and how their families lost everything they had to come to our country. Others have been in the entertainment industry, some have been writers and still, others have created products that are widely used today. There have been CEOs and those that rose from poverty to creating highly successful businesses, going on to mentor others so they could have an opportunity to better themselves. We’ve also heard countless stories from physicians, who without fanfare traveled abroad to many third world countries administering to those in need, and did I mention a Grammy award-winning Pastor whose lives he continues to touch each day? For those of you whose stories have appeared in our newsletters you know who you are, and how your stories have had such an impact on my life, as have so many others.
We live in a time where the media is focused more than ever on negative news and the things that divide us, not the common ground that can bring us together. When I see thousands of people turn out in mass to simply watch the lighting of a Christmas Tree or eight Clydesdale horses pulling a wagon through the streets of our downtown with two men and a Dalmatian sitting alongside them, I think to myself, “aren’t these the timeless pleasures we seem to embrace, and innately desire to enjoy?”
While most people would like to talk about themselves, Gary and Gail have always put their clients first, and their diverse backgrounds have provided their clients an unparalleled level of service and knowledge throughout the past years.