The Motto

John Charde was a remarkable man who thought outside the box. He inspired all who knew him. He accomplished this with a personal motto: ‘Nothing licks Johnny Charde.’ He knew how to live life to its fullest—every day of his life. This is his story.

Though John Charde was paralyzed from Polio at age six, he never let this define him. Even getting around on crutches for most of his life, there were few places he could not go or things he could not do. He lived with Yankee Ingenuity and a can-do attitude, finding solutions to “challenges” with which the rest of us never have to contend. He even taught himself to sail and became a great sailor. After his death in 2010, his wife found a card in his wallet. It simply read, Motto: Nothing licks Johnny Charde. John Charde knew how to live. Those who knew him claim they would never forget him. Read his inspiring story and you, too, will see the world differently because John Charde truly knew how to live.

Eileen Charde lives in Naples, Florida. She devotes much of her time to Avow Hospice in Naples in memory of her husband. She plays the piano for him every day.