An Outdoorsman’s Journal

By: Mark Walters

The Closing of a Chapter

Hello friends: This week’s column is going to be all over the map but centered around one thought, and that is memories and what has taken place since my life partner Michelle Chiaro who was an ICU nurse at the Aurora hospital in Hartford passed away unexpectedly on June 15th.

I have been blessed since Michelle’s passing by literally hundreds, probably 400, kind acts by friends, neighbors, family and readers of this column and I want to say thank you!

My family held the first Celebration of Life for Michelle, and it was a campfire/picnic event at our home. Michelle would have loved it.

On July 15th Michelle’s coworkers had a picnic at Pike Lake State Park near Hartford. It was six hours long and planned so that both day and night shifts could come. I bought hunting and fishing pictures as well as her crossbow and a beautiful dress that we had a family portrait taken in. Again, Michelle would have been so proud.

I hate to touch on this subject, and I know that I will heal but I am a mess, and honestly feel like I have lost my mojo.

Michelle was addicted to the outdoors and was a horse woman before I came along but she immediately got into anything outdoors. Last year she shot her first turkey and was getting a full mount on what is the biggest bird that I have ever called in for someone. My good friend Todd Krueger at Todd’s Taxidermy is doing the mount and I was going to surprise Michelle with it in our living room.

Last Thursday I headed down to Little Italy, Arkansas which is where Michelle’s family is from and where her final and largest ceremony would be held. The drive was quite the adventure in The Chevy Hotel as I had brought Red along, and for the first 400-miles she had diarrhea. The air conditioning does not work and let me tell you, it was steamy in Arkansas Michelle’s funeral was Saturday, and I was given the honor of being one of the speakers. I was a wreck for days but pulled it off and one of the stories that I told was of how Michelle saved the life of my golden retriever, Ruby, when she was giving birth back in April. We kept a pup that I named Red, but she wanted to name Rosey. While speaking to all of her many friends and family I told the story and announced that Red’s AKC name would be Rosey Red Chiaro.

Michelle had many people travel for this day and it was cool to visit with her former classmates from Good Council Elementary School and Mount St. Mary’s Catholic High School out of Little Rock. Of all the people on the face of this earth, I have never met a person that people liked, loved, and admired as much as Michelle. There were nurses representing hospitals from all over the United States where she had worked.

I also think I should mention that this was a 3-day event as it was St. Francis of Assisi’s Catholic Church’s 100 year centennial in this incredible community which made Michelle’s celebration three days of good people spending time together. Deacon Chris Dorer, you are loved by your community.

I have written about what was becoming an addiction concerning her desire to hunt, fish, and camp with me. During the grave side ceremony, I was quite possibly given the largest honor of my life when I saw that her parents, who I feel very close to, Vince and Tony Chiaro, had made the decision to put a fish, a turkey and a deer on her headstone.

There is not a minute that I don’t miss her! Sunset

Michelle Chiaro taking a well deserved break two years ago while creating a food plot that she would harvest her first deer from.

Michelle Chiaro was an exceptional athlete. She ran high hurdles in track, pitched in softball, and was a tenacious basketball player.

Michelle Chiaro’s turkey is being mounted and will be proudly displayed in Mark Walters living room.