- December 4, 2025
Fifteen years ago, Chuck Spano came to the Ormond MainStreet board with an idea.
What if Ormond could host a new festival, one rich in music and honoring the culture of the Celtic nations?
"MainStreet had very little money in the bank," recalled longtime board member Bill Partington II. "We didn't know if we were going to make the next payment for our executive director at that time. ... and Chuck came in and proposed that we do this, and he said, 'We can do it. I'l cover any cost overruns that we have if we don't make enough money to pay our expenses.'"
That was who Spano was.
"He was the guy that said, 'I'll take care of that,' and you never heard another word, and it was all taken care of," Partington said.
Spano, the founder of the Ormond Beach Celtic Festival, died at 78 years old on Aug. 12, two days shy of his birthday. A lifelong resident of the area, Spano was a graduate of Seabreeze High School and Florida State University, where he earned his master's degree, according to his obituary.
He first worked as an educator, teaching biology at Seabreeze, and then worked as an appraiser in his own company, Southern Appraisal Corporation.
That's how Partington first met Spano, as he had appraised some of his properties over the years.
Chuck was a quiet man, he said. But he was always friendly.
And, music was a big part of his life.
"I once accused him of being a drummer," Partington recalled. "... He was a master of all types of rhythm [instruments]. He was a percussionist."
Spano had deep connections in the music community, mainly in the folk genre. He played in Barberville often and regularly went to music festivals around the state. He and his wife Pat used to throw parties in their home and invite traveling musicians, who were friends of theirs, to stop by and jam, and raise money for charity while they were at it.
Spano and Julia Truilo, former executive of Ormond MainStreet, shared that love of music.
The two first met when she started working for MainStreet in August of 2012. Spano was already in the middle of planning for the next Celtic Festival, held every year in April.
Spano was always calm, Truilo said, and among the longtime board members that took her by the hand and led her forward in her new role, she said.
She could tell him his festival budget was less than expected and he'd tell her he'd figure it out. She could also tell him that he had extra money in the budget and he'd say he doubted he would need to spend it.
"You know, the thing about Chuck is he was unflappable in a lot of ways," Truilo said.
In the first year of the festival in 2010, Spano practically called all his musician friends and asked them to show up for free. The fact that the festival has grown to include Highland clans, vendors and several bands and music groups is a tribute to Spano's efforts.
"I think he should be remembered because of the festival — this wonderful festival that he dreamed up and forced into being," Truilo said.
He did all the musician bookings, ran the website and performed in it too — often seen playing the bodhrán, an Irish frame drum.
Spano was also a state champion washboard player, Truilo said.
The first time Becky Parker, current executive director for Ormond MainStreet, met Spano was during a board meeting.
"I will never forget his kind eyes," she said. "He had just a sweet chuckle that is really warming."
He was always humble, never the loudest person in the room, but carried a quiet pride, Parker said, in the fact he brought a lot of people joy, and brought them together, for the Celtic Festival.
"We became a family because of this event," Parker said. "Not just MainStreet, but everyone that goes year after year — the musicians, the clans, the vendors, their families. You watch these kids grow up as well. He is the reason for all of that."
He'd often tell her not to "sweat the small stuff." Challenges would come up, as they do in every big event, Parker said.
"And he would always look at me and say, 'Remember what I said? The small stuff. It's just small stuff,'" Parker said. "... Nothing really rattled him the way it affected the rest of us."
The Celtic Festival wouldn't exist without Spano, Parker said.
MainStreet plans to carry his legacy forward and continue to host the festival, and the music and energy he put into motion, every year, she added.
Partington said he hopes MainStreet will dedicate next year's festival in his honor, perhaps name a stage after him. After all, he was a big reason for why many musicians returned year after year.
"He made everyone feel welcome and then at other festivals, people would always be asking him if he had a spot for them to come to Ormond, because they would hear from the other entertainers how good the festival was," Partington said.
Beyond the festival, Parker said Spano would like to be remembered for being hardworking and joyful.
And, for how much he loved his wife Pat.
"They had a beautiful partnership," Parker said. "Just living a good life and doing what he loved. That's what she said — he really stopped at nothing to do what he loved."
Spano was like your favorite uncle, Truilo said. He was smart, always paid attention and was the guy you liked hanging out with.
"If I say he was a nice man, that underestimates how difficult it is to be a nice man in this world," Truilo said. "He was steadfast and compassionate and just a really nice guy to be around."
Spano is survived by his wife Pat; his three children Charles, Christoper and Allison; and his granddaughter Isabella.
