Michael Cardelino

Michael Cardelino of Flower Mound, Texas, born November 23, 1950, in Suffolk, VA, died December 22, 2022, in the hospital at Baylor Scott and White at Grapevine, after a year-long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often called “Lou Gehrig’s Disease” after a famous baseball player who died from the disease.

Michael, or Mike as he was often known, was an iron-willed man and quite athletic in his younger years. He played on the basketball team at Suffolk High School, where he graduated in 1968, and later in life, he ran half-marathons and loved to play golf. As he got older, he always enjoyed long walks with the family dog.

An only child, Mike was the son of Lou and Maria (O’Berry) Cardelino of Suffolk, VA. Mike was raised the old-fashioned way, learning right from wrong through the examples of two loving and attentive parents. He loved to play sports and hang around his father’s barbershop, hearing stories and learning what it meant to be an honorable man.

After graduating from Elon College in North Carolina in 1972, he returned to Suffolk, where his sharp-eyed mom, during her work with a Suffolk laundry service, noticed a lovely young woman named Diane (Diane Cole). His mother told Michael he needed to meet that young woman. He did, and on June 16, 1979, they wed.

After graduating from Elon, Michael began a lifetime career in financial services. During their 45 years together as husband and wife, his career would allow them to travel and eventually relocate to Flower Mound, Texas, where they have lived for the past 25 years.

Michael and Diane raised two sons, Lance, and Jason. Michael loved helping coach the boys in baseball and other sports during their youth. He served on the board of directors for the Glen Allen Youth Association from 1981 to 1984, including president the last year. Mike loved sports and especially liked seeing the Chicago Cubs win the 2016 World Series. He was also a huge horse racing fan; you could often find him cheering on his favorite horses at Lone Star Park.

During the last year of his life, Diane was his primary support and caregiver at home, with help from Jason and the dedicated folks at Texas Neurology doing whatever they could to help deal with a truly devastating disease. While always truly appreciating the efforts of all to help him, he could be as “hard-headed” as ever at times when deciding what he would and would not do. Michael was a man you could depend on to be true to himself, as well as true to you. He was a solid, good man.

Michael is survived by his wife Diane, his sons and Lance, of Amelia Courthouse, Virginia, and his grandsons, Noah and Owen Cardelino, and Jason, of Frisco, Texas.

A memorial service will be planned later. In lieu of flowers, if you would like to make a charitable donation in Michael’s honor, please donate to the ALS Association of Texas at 14555 Dallas Parkway Suite 100-219, Dallas Texas