Thomas Anthony Nardi

Thomas Anthony Nardi, 83, passed away on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at his home in Harrisonburg, Virginia, with the love and support of his wife, Ann Lynn, and his daughters.
Tom, known as Tommy to many from childhood, was born on April 26, 1942, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. In 1946, Tom moved with his parents, Frank and Betty, to Harrisonburg, where the family grew to include six sons and a daughter.
Having spent his first years in Williamsport, the home of Little League baseball, Tom loved sports. One of his fondest memories was traveling to Lakeland, Florida, for the Santa Claus Bowl when he was 13. The youth football team, led by his mentor, Cecil Gilkerson, took a beating, losing both games in a shutout. There would be no trophy, but the stories and laughs they brought home would last a lifetime. In 7th grade, Tom took ballroom dance lessons from his teacher, Ann Reeke, and credited her for his returning to the dance floor in later years. Throughout his teen years, Tom played a variety of sports and was a lifeguard, teaching many local kids how to swim at Spotswood Country Club.
Tom attended Harrisonburg High School, graduating in 1960. He received both undergraduate and graduate degrees in education and counseling from The University of Virginia and was a proud member of Phi Gamma Delta. After college, he taught one year at a school for at-risk youth in Richmond. From 1967-1974, Tom worked in employee management for United Airlines in Cleveland, Alexandria, and Miami. He loved the fast pace and excitement of the airline industry during that era, but a call from a friend to consider a job in his hometown changed all that. He became director of career planning and placement at James Madison University (then Madison College), giving him the opportunity to work on the academic side of job recruitment and to raise a family in a wonderful, tight-knit community.
Tom returned to the Shenandoah Valley with his wife, Gail Shea, and three young daughters, and eased back into a lively Harrisonburg life. On Paul Street, the Nardis made fast friends with the Sullivan and Jolly families. When the Newmans moved to Ott Street, Tom's daughter, Kate, and Paige were seven and developed a lifelong friendship, which Tom treasured and that made his visits with Dean and Judy Newman especially meaningful. Tom and Gail played bridge as the youngest members of the Massanutten Whist Club, joined Emmanuel Episcopal Church (shoutout to the Coulters and the Meltons!), and co-hosted Easter Sunday cookouts and "Franklin Street Fridays," while the kids ran wild around the neighborhood. On Franklin Street, Charlotte and Mac McNulty co-raised the five girls they had between them, sharing refrigerators and kitchen tables, and grounding whomever didn't make it home for curfew or got caught playing ring-and-run on the neighbors. Tim, Catherine, and Conrad Frazier lived across the street, and also became family.
Impromptu dance parties were common in the Nardi household, so much so that Tom formed his own family rock group, "Tom and the Nardettes." The girls and their dad never made it outside their family room on Franklin Street, but they sure had fun belting out songs and learning Tom's best dance moves. Tom and the family cherished their annual vacations to Plum Lake in Wisconsin-except for the 22-hour drive in a Ford Pinto station wagon with a poodle named Bridget. But once there, the "Uncle Tom" adventures began: swimming and hide-and-seek, water skiing, golfing, driving to the ice cream shop or to the dump to see the bears, and taking in the beauty and serenity of the Northwoods.
During his 30-year-career at JMU, Tom thrived on working with students, mentoring and connecting them to career opportunities and later in financial aid as director of scholarships. He loved his colleagues, many of whom became lifelong friends, and gained a deep sense of satisfaction helping young people get launched in the right direction. Among his perennial pieces of advice: "Don't quit a job until you find another one!" Also, he always ended phone conversations by saying, "Write when you get work!"
While Tom's career was rewarding, his next chapter was his most adventurous. He took ballroom dance lessons again. (Thank you, instructor and friend Karen Thomas!) He loved music and travel, so Tom found a way to combine all three of his passions as a dance host on a cruise line. Donning a tux every night, dancing with the ladies to his favorite music while perfecting his technique, and traveling to South America, Europe, and Canada made for an exciting, carefree, and memorable decade. When his cruising days were over, Tom and Ann Lynn continued to take dance lessons, meet new friends, and travel to Amelia Island, Florida, every year for more dancing, live music, fun and relaxation.
Along the way, Tom became a beloved grandfather. Papa Tom loved hosting bunk bed sleepovers and spending time with his three grandchildren. He also loved following their paths to finding themselves and their passions. He never missed watching "Dancing with the Stars" to compare notes with Chloe, took Irish Dance lessons after enjoying many of Sinead's performances, and always jumped at the chance to cheer Kieran on in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. It brought him joy to watch them chart their own unique courses in life.
It would be impossible to write the story of Tom Nardi without mentioning his big Irish-Italian family, growing up at 310 New York Avenue, and the many friendships he made throughout his life. He took his oldest brother job seriously, showed up for every Nardi occasion, and could always be counted on to help his siblings out of an occasional tight spot. Tom was a people person, and if you had the chance to interact with him, he'd remember and appreciate you, and vice-versa.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Betty, his brothers David, Steve, Jim, and John; brother-in-law, Lanny Holsinger, and son-in-law, Brad Czachor. He is survived by his wife, Ann Lynn, his daughters Cris (Tim), Kate, and Brennan (Nate), and his grandchildren Chloe, Sinead, and Kieran. He is also survived by his brother, Dan (Alyce), sister, Beth Holsinger, sister-in-law, Lynne Clark, step-son Rob (Marcia), step-daughter Beth Ann (Andrew), as well as many, much-loved nieces, nephews, and cousins on both the Nardi and Shea sides of the family.
A special thank you to the extraordinary team at Legacy Hospice. The kindness, generosity, and respect they showed to him and his family was second to none.
We love you, Tom Nardi. Now go fly the friendly skies and dance with the stars!
A celebration of Tom's life will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025 from 1-3 p.m., at Spotswood Country Club. Burial will be private.
Memorial contributions may be made to Harrisonburg Rockingham Child Day Care Center, P.O. Box 344, Harrisonburg, VA, 22803, or .