Sitting in the future game room of his new Serenbe home, Robert McArdle Jr., president of Doty & Associates, Inc., unboxed a fascinating story beginning with fond childhood memories of moving from the west coast to Decatur, Ga. with his family. When he was 12 years old, his father, a United Airlines pilot, accepted a transfer that landed his family next door to the Dotys.
No one could imagine then, as his family moved into the last home available in the idyllic Pheasant Hill subdivision developed by Fred Doty, the extent to which their two families would become fast friends. Nor could they predict how enduringly their family circles would converge.
The girl next door
Five years his junior, the daring Debbie Doty soon became McArdle’s favorite pal.
“We did everything together. She’d ride around with me on my minibike. We’d go swimming. They had three kids and our family had three; we were very close,” McArdle explained.
As the kids played, so too did a genuine friendship flourish among the parents. Their mothers shopped, traveled and threw backyard parties together. Mr. Doty crossed the lawn on his riding lawnmower weekly with two cocktails in hand to greet Mr. McArdle Senior returning from work.
The McArdles lived a charmed life in that house on Pheasant Drive for two short but unforgettable years. It was safe to ride bikes on the quiet streets of their small development to the old-fashioned general store. There was no crime to fear.
“What were the odds of Fred Doty having that last house unsold and selling it to my father? It’s more than a million to one,” McArdle said.
The big gap
After two fun years of forging friendships with the Dotys, the McArdles returned to the West Coast. The adults stayed in contact until Mrs. Doty passed away in 2006. After that, McArdle lost touch with the Doty family for decades.
It wasn’t until his father was on his deathbed that the Dotys came up again. In 2021, incited by his father who inquired about the Dotys, McArdle decided to contact his childhood companion.
An initial search revealed Mr. Doty’s obituary. Their fathers had passed away at around the same time. Then, a quick Google search brought him to Debbie’s real estate company and contact information.
Like no time had passed
McArdle had been living in Las Vegas for 40 years when he reached out to his former neighbor. “I emailed Debbie and the following day we talked for eight hours,” McArdle recalled. Then, daily calls and photo exchanges became the norm.
As the two reminisced and got caught up on all the milestones in each other’s lives, McArdle leaned that Doty had three grown children. The progression from childhood fondness for one another to an adult relationship was easy and natural.
Carpe diem
While exchanging life’s challenges and triumphs, McArdle and Doty discovered they had both survived cancer. Doty battled stomach cancer with aggressive surgery and three years of radiation at around the same time McArdle was going through chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They are now mutually cancer-free.
While their journeys were different, both leaned on medicine, family and their shared Catholic faith. The couple is confident a higher power intervened in their cures.
With a new lease on life, the two embrace the adage “Life is too short,” readily letting go of trivial matters in their daily lives. “When you beat cancer, you don’t take anything for granted,” McArdle professed.
Today, they are united in a quest to take care of each other by going for regular checkups and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Love at first flight
Four months of catching-up led to McArdle boarding an Atlanta-bound plane. After 50 years of separation, a two-week reunion with Doty instantly rekindled their childhood connection. Though she was no longer the little girl his sister once babysat, McArdle still saw the child in her. “She looked the same, only taller,” he mused.
McArdle was smitten. “She was so much fun to be around. She’s perfect.”
A return to their neighboring Decatur homes where they first met as kids was a must, both to relive the past and to witness the community’s evolution. Lovers of music and Allman Brothers fans, Doty’s itinerary included Atlanta concerts and a visit to Rose Hill Cemetery where Allman Brothers band members are buried.
It wasn’t long before a romantic relationship blossomed. Goodbyes became more difficult. Recurrent trips of increasing duration to visit Doty ensued.
Doty & Associates, Inc. after Fred
Doty inherited her father’s construction company. Things slowed down when the patriarch passed away. Faced with the decision to either jumpstart the business or close its doors, she decided to continue her father’s legacy.
As McArdle’s visits became longer and more frequent, the pair started frequenting the office together. Eventually, Doty made McArdle president of Doty Retail Construction. Originally based in Peachtree Corners, the Doty construction office has recently been relocated to Chattahoochee Hills.
From childhood friends to partners in business and life
Working in Georgia meant being close to Doty. McArdle accepted the offer, leaving his siblings, career and life in Las Vegas to embark on a career change. The professional and personal world pivots at this stage in life have made for a daunting yet delightful past year and a half.
The loyal staff embraced him. “They’re wonderful. They all knew Debbie’s father. They’ve been with the company forever,” McArdle stated. Fortunately, colleagues and friends in the business have helped to ease him into his new role.
McArdle is still familiarizing himself with the world of retail construction. “I came from real estate law — modifications, defaults, foreclosures,” he explained.
Involved in arbitration and mediation for a law firm, McArdle took pride in helping people keep their homes. He figured his skillset could facilitate the transition to retail construction.
Doty & Associates now focuses on commercial construction. The company remodels small malls and stand-alone stores for retailers like Starbucks, UPS, Dunkin’ Donuts, Jersey Mike’s and Mariner Finance. They can deliver a sterile, white square or provide designers for a custom-finished store.
“Mariner Finance likes blue walls, blue furniture and glass tables. We get it done for them,” McArdle shared. “We have their templates — everything has to be their color,” he continued.
Marketing
Engaging with former clients, McArdle shared that 90% of them generate new contracts. Doty Construction can either build a new location or remodel an existing one.
Licensed in 48 states, Doty & Associates has general contractors in place across the country. “We reach out to them when we’re ready. We make sure funds are available and licenses are current,” McArdle explained.
Soon, they’ll start building wine stores for a company in North Carolina wishing to break into the Atlanta market. McArdle hopes they’ll build multiple locations.
Accessing Fred’s notes, McArdle knew who Mr. Doty had planned to reconnect with. The company has been in business for so long that when he started reaching out to former clients, half of them were either retired or deceased. Whenever possible, though, old relationships are being rebuilt.
“I still have a lot to learn,” McArdle confessed.
Working together
Doty is the owner and CEO. Together, she and her fiancé, McArdle, manage the company using their unique strengths. An office in their new home provides a convenient workplace.
“She’s better at directing. I’m better at networking. She works closely with our staff, the architects and everybody else,” McArdle revealed. Doty keeps her broker’s license active, too.
Excited about the direction they’re taking the company, the whole team is networking, joining in the effort to resurrect previous partnerships — some dating back as far as 30 years.
Happily ever after
McArdle and Doty are planning a summer wedding. Their custom home is coming together in Serenbe in Chattahoochee Hills, Ga. They enjoy the sprawling biophilic community with their dog, Blue, and their quarter horse, Clint.
A speakeasy and a game room filled with childhood photos and nostalgic game tables like ping pong, pool and shuffleboard are taking shape.
After a September visit to Vegas to give Doty a tour of his former stomping grounds, McArdle plans to sell his Las Vegas property and go on new adventures with his beloved, making use of United Airlines travel passes he still has from his father.
Did McArdle Senior have a sixth sense about his son reuniting with Doty?
“He kept saying, “You should reach out to them.” I’m glad I did,” McArdle smiled. His only regret is not doing it sooner.
“Debbie is my dream girl. I love everything about her. I’m so lucky,” he beamed. He attributes their charmed life to having had good parents as role models. McArdle and Doty can be found riding into the sunset on their Z 73 electric bikes, having as much fun as they did riding on trails as kids. Some things are just meant to be.
Photo caption: Debbie Doty and Robert McArdle Jr.
