Nano Podolsky

Nano Elizabeth Byrnes Podolsky was born September 5, 1943 in Rensselaer, Indiana, to Elizabeth Carton and MS “Bob” Byrnes, while her father was serving as a Navy Ace in World War II. Nano was the oldest of six children, and her early experiences with child care made her into a lifelong baby whisperer and team captain. She attended many Catholic schools, including Marycrest College, where she was instructed by stern and proper nuns. In her senior year she was threatened with expulsion after protesting because Black students weren’t allowed to live on campus.

After college, she enthusiastically joined the early Peace Corps and spent 2 years in rural Panama, focusing on public health and child literacy projects. This was a transformative experience for Nano. She gained self confidence, became fluent in Spanish, and developed a deep appreciation of Latin culture. When she returned to the US, she worked as a VISTA volunteer, teaching first grade in inner city Washington, DC, which she called “the hardest job I ever had.” She then moved to Denver, where she had been awarded a scholarship in the Masters of Health Planning program. It was there, through Peace Corps friends, that she met Gil. They married on May 27, 1972. A few months later, they moved to Salt Lake City for job opportunities, expecting to stay only a couple of years. Instead, they discovered that they liked the city and its nearby outdoor opportunities, and other than a brief stint in Denver for Gil’s Internal Medicine residency, stayed for the rest of their lives. They were fortunate to meet friends, many of whom were Jewish and were also relatively new to Salt Lake. Eventually, entirely of her own accord, Nano converted to Judaism.

As Gil often said, “For Nano, there are no strangers, only friends she hasn’t met yet.” She would chat with literally anyone, anywhere and was genuinely curious to hear their story. If you mentioned a problem you were facing, she listened carefully and let you know how upset she was that you were upset. Then, for the next week, you’d receive random phone calls and emails as she tried to come up with possible solutions to your problem. She could not get out of a grocery store in under an hour because she’d inevitably run into someone she wanted to hear from. It was almost impossible for her to say no to any request for help, even if she’d promised not to join any more committees or give away more money.

Having grown up in a family of modest means, Nano was always attuned to the hardships of others. She helped to develop the first ever children’s health insurance program for the City of Salt Lake. She worked with other parents and teachers to advocate for a gifted student program within the Salt Lake School District. After she found out from family friends that poor students were being directed solely to 2 year technical colleges, she and a friend created a college counseling service to help high school students apply to 4 year institutions. They offered this as a free service at West High school. She also worked for Valley Mental Health and served as the Chair of the SL County Board of Health. She was a dedicated servant of the Salt Lake Jewish community for decades, in particular the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Federation, and Congregation Kol Ami. She also served others in quiet ways. She anonymously left bags of groceries at the front door of families she knew were struggling. She regularly paid for other children’s field trips. She donated her impressive skills as a Master Gardener to the SLC AIDS garden.

Nano was hardworking, committed to social justice, and extremely loyal to those she cared about. But she was also fun and full of life. She celebrated practically every holiday because it was entertaining; she sewed her kids’ Halloween costumes, made giant heart cookies on a stick for Valentine’s Day, dyed milk green for St Patrick’s Day, short-sheeted beds on April Fool’s, and on July 4th, could be found in a circle of children in the middle of the street, excitedly lighting fireworks of questionable legality. She loved her snowblower and would joyfully clear her neighbor’s sidewalks. She was an unparalleled cook and baked incredible challah. She loved participating in Pride parades. She took great satisfaction in her amazing vegetable garden and was an early adopter of xeriscaping. She helped to cultivate and maintain friendships near and far, from her fellow returned Peace Corp volunteers across the country to friends in Teasdale and Torrey, as well as her long-running book club. As a mom, Nano was game for just about anything, from sleeping on your couch or taking your friends out for sangria, to spending a month in a different city if it was helpful to you. While she was able, Nano was an energetic, engaged, perpetually delighted grandmother.

Together, Nano and Gil built a strong and loving marriage. Their yin/yang relationship was a marvel of mutual appreciation and gentle (or direct, if needed) balancing of their respective eccentricities. They not only traveled widely but also put down secondary roots in Teasdale, Utah, allowing them to better know and appreciate the Capitol Reef area and its surrounding communities. Throughout their long marriage, Nano and Gil prioritized spending time outdoors, supporting their children's educations, and contributing to their community.

Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease took Nano away from us years before her body said goodbye. In the final stages of her life, she was tenderly attended to by a gifted caregiver, Erika Mixco, and Erika’s husband, Joaquin. We are forever grateful to the Mixcos for their selfless dedication, love, and deep kindness.

Nano is survived by her husband of 53 years, Gil; her daughters, Susan (Josh Barkan), and Laura; her four grandchildren, Sasha, Lila, Jonah and Lucy; and her four remaining siblings, Mary Patricia Larsen (Torrey), Virginia Horton (Kurt), Richard Byrnes (Kathy), and John Byrnes. She was preceded in death by her son, Sam; her sister, Martha; and her parents.

A celebration of Nano’s life will be held over MLK weekend in Salt Lake City. For details, please email [email protected]. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Jewish Family Service of Utah, which serves clients of all backgrounds, at jfsutah.org.

The Podolsky family wishes to thank the many friends and family members who enlivened Nano’s days and continued to support her and us as her disease progressed. May her memory be for a blessing.