Pablo and Eileen Talamante are quite the couple.
They preside over a blended family of four grown children and manage two unusual and incredibly demanding careers.
That’s two careers EACH.
Pablo is an active-duty member and tenor soloist with the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” and serves as a “musical ambassador for the nation” as part of the U.S. Army Chorus. Over his career with the Army he has performed for hundreds of war veterans from every branch of the military. He also continues a career as an operatic tenor soloist.
Eileen is both a registered nurse and an attorney with over 20 years of combined nursing and legal experience. Her resume includes previous work as a registered nurse in the cardiac and critical care setting, and she now works as partner at the local law firm of GoodmanAllenDonnelly, PLLC., where she represents nurses and physicians in licensure and disciplinary matters before the Virginia Boards of Nursing and Medicine.
Each one points to the other as most deserving of the spotlight.
In a recent interview with the couple, Eileen pointed out that the article should focus on Pablo, and that if not for COVID-19 cancellations, he would have performed at the White House state dinner for Queen Letizia of Spain and her husband, Prince Felipe. Pablo countered by saying the article should focus on Eileen, suggesting a story on the unprecedented times that nurses are enduring during the pandemic, and acknowledging his nurse-attorney wife and the many medical professionals she protects on a daily basis.
“She’s just an amazing professional, and a devoted wife, mother, daughter and sister,” Pablo said.
“He is such an extraordinary talent, and he provides tremendous hope and comfort through his music,” Eileen said.
So how in the world did they meet?
“I met my Mexican husband through my Irish priest in Pawleys Island, South Carolina,” said Eileen with a smile. They were married in 2006.
Pablo, a master sergeant, is stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia. In addition to fulfilling typical military obligations like training exercises and qualifying on the range, he’s frequently called upon to entertain visiting dignitaries, especially those from Latin American nations.
“I welcome them, break the ice between the generals and sing songs from their hometowns,” he said. “It’s quite magical when the music transcends differences and borders between nations.”
Some dignitaries ask for Pablo specifically. He was requested to perform for Queen Sofia of Spain at the Holy See Medal of Peace presentation at the United Nations, for example. He also was deployed to Izmir, Turkey, during the U.S. Army Operation “Provide Comfort” in the Persian Gulf.
But Pablo points to the many performances he as given to U.S. war veterans as some of his most cherished memories as a vocalist with the Army.
“When you stand before a World War I veteran and watch the emotion in their eyes as you sing our national anthem, it is a truly humbling and moving experience,” he said.
Initially, the couple made their home in Henrico County and later moved to Midlothian; Eileen’s parents live nearby, in Brandermill Woods. “We saw the beautiful sunsets of Midlothian and decided to move ‘across the river’ to greener pastures,” Pablo said with a grin.
During the COVID lockdown, some official state visits and scheduled performances were canceled, forcing Pablo and his unit to develop virtual concerts. With less travel on his schedule, Pablo got to spend more time at home – just as Eileen’s work became even more hectic than usual.
“On any given day I probably have 30 to 40 or more active cases, somewhere along the board process,” said Eileen, who also has been working from home during the pandemic. “COVID has made things even more complicated and has created numerous, unprecedented challenges for our health care providers.”
Because of her heavy workload even in the best of times, “we have to coordinate our schedules very closely,” Pablo said. “She’s very efficient even though her days are often unpredictable.”
“It’s a demanding job and really hard to be off,” Eileen said. “You can never fully predict your days or what urgent issues will arise for a client at any given moment
Eileen deals with complaints made against physicians and nurses to their respective licensing boards, which threaten their ability to practice and thus their livelihoods. “I have to make sure the board has the information it needs to make a fair decision. My clients depend on me and trust me to protect their license under what are often very difficult circumstances,” Eileen said.
She added, “Though I am not practicing nursing at the bedside anymore, I am still a nurse at heart and always will be. Once a nurse, always a nurse. Health care providers help all of us, and my mission is to help them. I don’t take their trust for granted, and I take my job very seriously.”
Eileen also is active in professional organizations, serving on the board of directors of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys, and as the immediate past president of the Lewis F. Powell Jr., American Inn of Court, Richmond Chapter.
When they do get time off together, the couple enjoy doing the “simple things” like hanging out with family and friends, doing house projects and yard work, making trips back to Pawleys Island, and staying active outdoors, usually by taking long walks to the James River.
Pablo, who released his first “Volume 1 Live Recordings” CD this summer, is set to retire from active duty in 2021. But he says he won’t stop singing.
“I’ll keep performing as long as my voice doesn’t give out,” said Pablo, who performs mostly folk, romantic ballads, opera arias, and classical or semiclassical music. He also plays piano and guitar.
He recently performed a Valentine’s Day concert at Independence Golf Club and received many accolades from attendees, one of whom told him, “I forgot where I was; I thought I was on a cruise ship in Europe!”
As the couple looks ahead to Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving, they expressed gratitude for their many blessings in life.
“As a first-generation immigrant of 35 years in this country, I’ve been immensely grateful for the career I’ve had and the communities that have welcomed me throughout the nation,” Pablo said. “I am blessed with a God-given voice and proud to be serving in the United States Army.”
Eileen expressed similar sentiments. “Any talents, capabilities, and opportunities we have had are God-given. We are incredibly grateful and humbled to have careers that allow us to serve so many of our country’s heroes, both our amazing veterans and our health care workers,” she said.
Then the former cardiac nurse made a tender observation about her husband.
“People sometimes comment on what different careers Pablo and I have, but I have always felt that our careers are quite similar,” she said. “Those who have been lucky enough to hear him sing will tell you that he truly heals people with his voice. Countless people have told me that hearing Pablo sing changed their lives.
“He takes care of people’s hearts as much as any doctor or nurse – just in a different way.”