Full life, exciting, adventurous, meaningful, short
Nate was magnetic. His eyes and smile drew you in and his tender heart kept you in his orbit. He was well known for his kindness, manners, and loveable attitude. He was there to listen to others’ problems, offering support and encouragement.
His mother, Jeri, stated: “He was my first-born, my first true love, my baby.” She shared that she never experienced that depth of love until she looked into his eyes for the first time. She knew in that moment that her heart was no longer hers. It belonged to him.
Nathan was a natural at everything he tried, from drums, piano, hockey, basketball and golf, to mixed martial arts. He had a passion for the outdoors. He enjoyed fishing, skateboarding, playing basketball, riding bikes, hiking in the mountains, and riding rollercoasters. Nathan often watched the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events with his newlywed wife, Lilli, and was a huge Auburn Fan. The two loved hunting waterfalls and spending time with family, friends, and their two dogs, Nova, and Jax.
Nathan was also a bit of a trickster. His mother recalls a trick he played on her when he was 17. She put her glass under the ice dispenser on the refrigerator and pizza rolls filled her cup! The last vacation they had together was in March 2022, when he joined the family at the beach. “I haven’t been back since,” Jeri said. “I can’t.”
After high school, Nathan graduated from Wallace Community College with an HVAC certification and went to work. Most recently, he planned to go back to school and become a youth drug counselor.
Nathan was the HVAC tech at the apartment complex where his mother was living at the time of his death. Earlier in the day, he told his mom, “You don’t have to worry anymore. I promise.” Nathan died in the office after his lunch break from an accidental fentanyl poisoning. It was the birthday of his twin brothers, Bailey, and Broady. Jeri couldn’t bear seeing the office every day and eventually moved.
Like many family members who have lost someone to overdose and poisoning, Jeri has days where it is hard to keep commitments or she runs late. During Nathan’s active addiction, she felt helpless. “I knew the day was gonna come,” she said. Now that Nathan is gone, she has panic attacks and emotional breakdowns. See feels reckless and neglects her health. “I get ‘stuck’ in my vehicle when I try to go somewhere,” she said.
She has managed to start back to college to do what Nathan wanted to do; help youth in the legal system. She speaks out about addiction and raises awareness about substance use disorder.
Jeri has a video on her phone of Nathan that she plays over and over, and has Nathan’s last heartbeat line, from when the machines were turned off, tattooed on her arm. She also has his finger print engraved in a locket with the words, “Mom, it wasn’t my fault” engraved on the back.
Nathan’s mother, Jeri Money, provided the information for this narrative.
March 20, 1997-October 29, 2022-Age 25
Portrait Artist: Shawn Faust
Narrative Writer: Barbara Francois
