My mom.

Betty Ann Thornholt Farley

Betty Ann Thornholt Farley was the most selfless, fearless, forgiving and laissez-faire person I ever knew, and she worked hard throughout her life. Not only did she have to prove to her father that she could and would become a Registered Nurse, but she was also the main provider for her two children growing up. As the main provider, she solely handled the mortgage, automobiles, etc. and kept a pretty busy and simple life to juggle the financial responsibilities.

After a stint in the Navy as a nurse, she graduated from nursing school in Norwalk, Connecticut and began her nursing career, primarily in the Emergency Rooms of various hospitals. After moving to sunny Florida, she worked at Holmes Regional Hospital until she landed a nursing job at Piper Aircraft and then at Indian River Memorial Hospital, both in Vero Beach. She loved Vero Beach and the daily drive there and back to Indialantic.

She earned my utmost respect when I witnessed just how much she excelled in high stress situations as head nurse in the ER.

And she still made time to be a mom: we never went hungry; lunch money provided; clothes clean and ready for school; birthdays never forgotten; roof over our heads; and loved. Always fair and practical, she was a great mom doing the best she could. Born in the height of the Great Depression, she learned to make the best of everything she had. She knew how to stretch a dollar and held onto that gift all her life.

When she finally retired, she planned to enjoy her home, her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, all the things she never had quite enough time for—but her work ethic wouldn’t let her. After her “retirement” from Indian River Memorial, she then became the on-staff nurse for the Indian River Sheriff’s Department dealing with officers and detainees alike.

Her dry sense of humor, quick wit and sarcasm runs in the family, which was handed down to her by my grandparents and her sassy attitude was from my grandmother. A sweet soul with a big heart, and almost naive, she was overly understanding of and compassionate for others even when they hurt her.

She wanted no heroics before she passed and no services after. Indeed she was selfless to the end. She died peacefully at 91, on no medications, in her home that she adored, in a loved one’s arms. She is now joined with her beloved husband and my grandparents.

 Dave Fiester

The MTV guitarist who opened for The Rolling Stones.Dave Fiester crisscrossed the country during his 40-year musical career, wailing the blues and improvising guitar solos at countless arenas, clubs and bars. After logging appearances on “American Bandstand” and “Solid Gold,” Fiester joined The Legendary Groove
When I was growing up here on the space coast Cocoa beach was another world away from Indialantic.  And at a very early age we figured out not only how to get up there but sneak into any venue that Dave was playing, mostly Fuddpuckers which is now known as Cocoanuts.  I can speak for myself when I say I wanted to do that when and if I grew up: play guitar for throngs of screaming girls-wherever.  He was the man to hear and we did every chance we could.

 Brad Cordle

One of Chuck’s favorite people in the world was Mr. Brad Cordle whom he played music with and was friends with for many years.

Omaha blues singer Brad Cordle, who formed popular band The Mighty Jailbreakers.

Brad Cordle lived his life finding joy in the blues. The 64-year-old died Monday from a longtime illness, but his legacy will live on in the metro’s music scene.

Austin Pettit

Brevard County’s homegrown guitar hero needs help. Known for his guitar playing genius and playing from the heart, Austin is one of Brevard’s favorite and most recognized musicians.

From his early days at Cocoa Beach’s Pillow Talk Lounge and Fudpuckers, with bands such as Stampede and Tight Shoes, to touring nationally with Grinderswitch opening for The Allman brothers, Austin has done it all.

Founded the legendary Groove Monsters

Austin also founded the legendary Groove Monsters with Stephen Miller and Dave Fiester, then formed the Austin Pettit Band, which is now reaching a new generation of music lovers with Mo Geetz.

Austin Pettit has been a main stay of the Space Coast music scene for nearly 40 years.

Daniel S. Earp

I first met Dan at Hoover Jr. High and immediately shared a love for surfing and guitar.  I met him through a mutual friend John Baker. (no relation)  We played guitar at parties or wherever we got the chance and he spurred me on incessently to learn to practice scales to which I have to thank him to this day.  He was responsible for helping my wife buy me a classic Telecaster for a surprise Christmas gift, and it was!  That was the kind of friend he was. We played all kinds of parties in Gainesville while he was in school there, again along with John Baker.  Later in life he took to playing lap steel with us at Double’s Hoagies and professionally with Lights Out Project at their Capt. Hiram’s gigs.  His birthday is very close to my own and apparently when a Taurus bonds with another Taurus it’s very musical indeed.

Satellite Beach, FL

Daniel S. Earp of Satellite Beach passed away Saturday, September 28. He was born in Minneapolis MN to Samuel and Rachael Earp. Dan graduated Melbourne High in 1975 and received a BA in Journalism from the University of Florida in 1979.

Dan worked as a video journalist and assignment desk manager in TV news. He was currently working as the theater manager of Bayside High School.

He is survived by his three children Court, Casey, and Carly; his brothers Jim (Cindy), Sam (Gordana), David (Rolande); significant other, Karen Taylor and her daughters Casey, Andi, and Sarah.

Dan was a supporter of the arts, played his guitar in several bands, and a prolific photographer. He belonged to the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Assoc, Surf Rider Foundation, and the University of Florida Alumni Association.

Dan will be dearly missed by friends and family, to which I felt like I was both.

Fico Fernandez

Fico is the older brother to my friend Jesse Fernandez, professional surfer and professional musician in his own right who grew up in South Florida and played with the likes of Steve Rosenberg, Andy Neuman, Gary Bukstel, (brother of the folk energy know as Ellen Bukstel-Segal), and Jimmy Stone, who just so happens to live in the Melbourne area.  I had the good fortune to meet and play with all of them at Fico’s home in New Symrna Beach at one of his many jams with him and his immediate family members who follow closely in their dad’s footsteps.  From his wife Debbie, sons Kino and Zale and daughter Ysa they had a full band already custom built right at home.  Matter of fact his daughter Ysa Fernandez is cultivating her own musical footsteps with the newly released song and video “Cold” which can be seen on Youtube if you go and take a look…

Fico played guitar, harmonica and sang his heart out whenever he got the chance.  He felt his music as well as played it and it seemed magical more often then not.
I will have much more to add to this soon.

Jaco Pastorius

the man who revolutionized how the bass guitar is played and who is, for many, the best and most influential bass guitarist ever, didn’t start his musical life on the instrument. Instead, the man who would be the master of the fretless electric bass was a drummer.  Got to meet Jaco first with Peter Graves in south Florida and again in Los Angeles prior to a start of a world tour.  Eclectic and engaging to say the least.  His brother Rory married my cousin Sandy and proceeded to produce Jaco’s nephew David who lives and breathes his chosen instrument, Bass guitar

Robert “Rocky” Jernel D’Andrea,

Cocoa – Robert “Rocky” Jernel D’Andrea, 61 of Cocoa, FL and York, PA passed away March 5, 2019. Rocky is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Natasha and Jason Shane of Harrisburg PA; his granddaughters, Anjuli and Aria Shane of Harrisburg, PA; brother and sister-in-law Rick and Ellede D’Andrea of Hellertown, PA; brother and sister-in-law Matthew and Janet D’Andrea of Scotch Plains, NJ; brother Tony D’Andrea of Cocoa, FL; sister and brother-in-law Laura Zavattaro and John Tompeck of Sewall’s Point, FL;