Friend, teammate, son, brother, and classmate. On Saturday, May 18, the community of Bellefonte felt the pain of the sudden loss of sophomore Nathan “Nate” Dan. Nate passed away due to a swimming accident in Huntington County. Nate was a friend to many; the loss of him has impacted many students and staff at BAHS.
On the following Monday, May 20, BAHS Principal Mr. Michael Fedisson appeared on the morning announcements to share his grief over the loss. Support groups were organized in computer Lab C for students during school hours. Keystones were pushed back a day as well to allow students time to grieve.
Nate had a strong connection with not only his classmates, but his teachers as well. One teacher he was really close with was Algebra II, Problem Statistics, and AP Statistics teacher Mrs. Susan Besch. His passing impacted her since her son, junior Colby Besch, was close with Nate and played lacrosse and basketball with him. Mrs. Besch’s favorite memory of Nate was during their lacrosse season, they had a six overtime win against Danville. Six overtimes is very unheard of and Nate did his part to keep Danville from scoring. Mrs. Besch loved to watch his aggressiveness during games, as he always played to his fullest potential.
“As a student in my classroom, Nate was a very polite young man with a very nice smile. He was consistent with his work and a pleasant student in the classroom. I enjoyed watching him and my son, Colby, play basketball together. He was amazing! #15 – we will never forget,” Mrs. Besch said.
Another teacher Nate formed a close bond with was Chemistry teacher Mr. Ganieyou Salamy. Mr. Salamy had Nate during his 4/5 period class, right before lunch. He remembers him being a very well-behaved student who always avoided getting in trouble. Nate was very respectful, never complained about an assignment, and worked hard in class.
“His loss was a huge shock to me. Dan was, to me, a good student to have and the first that I am losing as a current student in my almost forty years of teaching. All my condolences to his family and close friends,” Mr. Salamy said.
Students paid tribute to Nate in many ways. Friends gathered to send balloons with written messages up to him, while others attended the boys lacrosse game on May 22 in Selinsgrove. His funeral was held on May 24 at the Watermarke Church in Bellefonte, and was highly-attended by his friends and family. Alongside them, the entire Danville boys lacrosse team attended to pay their respects.
For those who would like to share their condolences, you can visit his GoFundMe page, where the funds will go to his family. When they pass their goal, the money left over will be created into a scholarship left in his name. Bellefonte’s Lacrosse Association is also paying a tribute to Nate by collecting donations. To donate, you can Venmo @Susan-Besch or send money to their PO Box. To mail money, you can sign it for the Bellefonte Lacrosse Association and mail it to PO Box 345, Bellefonte, PA 16823.
Nate’s memory will continue to live on in everyone that knew him. During his final lacrosse season, his jersey number was 15. His friends and teammates have created the hashtag #FOREVER15 to honor his life as they promoted it throughout their final games of this year’s season.
