Michael W. Nobles, of Plainfield, Vermont, died unexpectedly at his home on Thursday, June 25, 2020. He was 50 years old.
Michael was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1969. He graduated from Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, where he discovered his passion for running as a stand-out runner and earned a place on the University of Vermont cross country and track teams. He earned his B.S. in Accounting from the University of Vermont in 1992.
Michael joined Union Mutual in 1995 and served in a variety of senior leadership roles before being elected president and CEO in 2014. Michael was a well-loved leader who was dedicated to developing a culture of community service and wellness. Michael was particularly proud of Union Mutual’s designation as a Best Place to Work in Vermont for seven years in a row. As an avid runner, he was committed to helping his staff achieve wellness and earned the 2020 Vermont Business Wellness Leadership Award from the Vermont Governors Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Michael, following in the footsteps of his mother, was committed to supporting Special Olympics of Vermont (SOVT). Michael took part in the SOVT Penguin Plunge for years, jumping into Lake Champlain every winter and leading a fundraising team that raised over $130,000 for SOVT in 2020.
Michael was also deeply committed to the communities in which lived and worked. He led a campaign that raised over $200,000 to assist small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I have always been thankful to work and live in the Central Vermont area, but never more so than today,” Michael said when the small business fund was created. “We hear the phrase, ‘We are all in this together,’ multiple times a day, and this fund could not be a better example of what it really means.”
Michael was a man of many passions. He was a self-taught clockmaker and restorer renowned for his collection of New England tall-case clocks. As a runner, he liked to always have somebody in front of him in a race but never at the finish. He was also a fierce ping-pong player and miniature golfer. His greatest passion was being a father to his two daughters.
Michael is survived by his parents, Bill and Connie Nobles; his wife, Tsana Nobles, and two daughters, Morgan Mayer and Lindsay Marian Nobles; his sisters, Amy Nobles Dolan and Susanne Nobles; their spouses, Jim Dolan and Kevin Perry; and his beloved nieces and nephews. The funeral and burial services will be private. When possible, the family will hold a celebration of Michaels’ life for all who knew him. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to either Special Olympics of Vermont or the Movember Foundation dedicated to men’s mental health. The family would welcome remembrances on the virtual guestbook at Guare and Sons.
