Hernando County remembers Mike Carbonaro, beloved businessman and friend

Mike Carbonaro’s death at 69 sent ripples through Hernando County because his reach was never limited to advertising. He was the kind of longtime resident who showed up for people, checked in when life got hard, and seemed to know everybody’s cousin, coworker or business partner along the way.

Carbonaro ran Been Seen Pro, a business the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce listed as Be Seen Pro Hernando/Citrus. The chamber described it as an advertising service for restaurants, built around free menus, placemats and coffee cups, and listed its office at 5331 Commercial Way, Suite 211, in Spring Hill, with the phone number (352) 819-4682. In a county where small businesses depend on introductions and repeat business, Carbonaro made a living by helping other people get noticed.

Those who knew him remembered a man who was never short on humor and never quick to anger. His Connecticut accent and long list of one-liners became part of his identity, the kind of details friends recalled because they were inseparable from the way he moved through a room. Several people described him as a second father figure, a steady source of encouragement who stayed in touch during rough stretches and offered practical help without making a show of it.

That instinct for connection extended well beyond his own business. Carbonaro was active in networking groups and frequently turned up to support small businesses across Hernando County. His presence in chamber circles was not a formality. He was part of the county’s commercial fabric, the sort of member who made introductions, remembered names and helped newcomers find their footing in Spring Hill and beyond.

One of the most memorable stories people told about him involved a motorized kayak he built with pedals, two motors and three car batteries. The test run did not go as planned. The vessel sank in the Weeki Wachee River, a mishap that friends remembered with affection because it captured his inventive, good-natured willingness to try something outrageous and laugh about it later.

Carbonaro died the previous week, and his funeral was held May 19. For friends, coworkers and business contacts across Hernando County, the loss was personal because his help was personal, too. He left behind not just a company and a chamber listing, but a map of relationships that crossed restaurants, offices, networking tables and neighborhood friendships.