Charles W. Ardery, Jr. was born in Indianapolis in 1931, and soon thereafter gravitated to the piano. Although he was never formally trained, music was a big part of his life. He could play just about anything after hearing it only once, and was unbeatable at Name That Tune. He was the “relief man” at Jackie’s and the Purple Tree in the 70s in Indianapolis, filling in when the regular pianists took breaks. His musical interests extended also to fandom, as he regularly attended performances at venues big and small in the Indianapolis area. Aside from his musical passions, Ardery had a notable career as a judge in Hamilton County. Fresh out of law school at age 27, he was the last Democrat to be elected county-wide, and ended his career as an administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration. He died in 2024.
The items below were donated by his daughter, Nina Ardery.
